UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Five people have now been confirmed dead and two children remain missing after a flash flood swamped a southeastern Pennsylvania road on Saturday evening.
The missing children include a 9-month-old boy and a 2-year-old girl.
Officials in Bucks County's Makefield Township said torrential rains occurred at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Washington Crossing area.
In a news conference on Sunday afternoon, Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer said the children were part of a family visiting from Charleston, South Carolina.
They were on their way to a barbecue when they became trapped in the flash flood.
The father of the family managed to escape with his four-year-old son. The mother and grandmother each took one of the two younger children.
However, officials said, the mother, grandmother, and the two missing children were all swept away by flood waters.
Of the seven people initially reported missing after the flood, Brewer said five have been recovered. The mother is among the bodies found, Brewer added.
"We continue to look for the two children. We are not going to give up, regardless," Brewer said at Sunday's press conference. "The weather is a factor, but at this point we are going to continue the operation and set things in motion for tomorrow as well."
"This is a moment that calls on all of us to come together to lift up Upper Makefield and the Bucks County community and that is exactly what we are doing," added Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.
Brewer told reporters that the area got about six-and-a-half to seven inches of rain in 45 minutes on Saturday.
"In my 44 years, I've never seen anything like it," he said. "When the water came up, it came up very swiftly. We do not think that anybody drove into it, that they were actively on that road when it happened."
Overall, eight people were rescued from cars and two from a creek over the weekend, Brewer said.
Three vehicles were swept away and later located, and no one was found inside them. One was about 1.5 miles from where it entered the creek.
"We truly appreciate the outpouring of support and concern for the families of this tragedy, our emergency personnel, and our community as a whole. We cannot fathom the grief these families are experiencing and we will do everything we can to assist them during this extremely difficult time," Brewer said.
"On behalf of more 13 million Pennsylvanians, I want Bucks County to know that we are here with you, we are praying with you and will continue to do everything in our power to lift you up," added Shapiro.
Upper Makefield Police released a list of roads that remained closed Sunday morning:
- Taylorsville Road from Route 532 to Route 295
- River Road by Francisco's
- River Road between Route 532 and Mt. Eyre Road
Authorities also remind people to not travel through flooded roadways.
About 150 people were searching the creek during the night and 100 were involved Sunday morning, walking along the creek, he said.
"THE SKY OPENED UP"
Residents in the area told Action News the flooding was extreme.
"There were about five to seven minutes in there when, really, the sky opened up," said Nick Primola from Yardley.
He told Action News he saw cars swept away, upside down, and abandoned in the local roadways.
"I guess it was just fortunate timing because the people who were there probably just 10 minutes before didn't have as much luck. They really didn't have any warning and they were caught up in it," said Primola.
The rain came and went so quickly, Primola said it's impossible to prepare for.
"I haven't seen anything like this before this quick. I mean this is an area where there are a lot of waterways, so people are used to flooding, but I think that's why it snuck up on these people who were driving," he said.
RESIDENTS ASKED TO REPORT DAMAGE
Anyone in Upper Makefield Township who has experienced damage to their property or business is asked to report it.
Residents and business owners are asked to call the township on Monday.
The township phone number is (215) 968-3340.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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