Severe Storms in Centre County Cause Road Flooding, School Delays and Closure

Overnight storms that dumped heavy rain on parts of Centre County flooded roads and caused multiple school districts to delay their starts or close on Thursday morning.

Bellefonte Area School District is closed on Thursday, while State College Area and Bald Eagle Area were operating on two-hour delays.

Parts of the region saw 2 to 4 inches of rain and storms were particularly severe in northeastern Centre County, where a tornado warning was issued on Wednesday from 8 to 9:15 p.m., for the area of Howard, Blanchard and Orviston, followed by a flash flood warning into the early morning hours.

Centre County 911 reported on Wednesday night that flooding was occurring in the area of Howard, Curtin Township, Liberty Township from Orviston Mountain Road to Clinton County. Water rescues were also reported in the area.

“Periods of heavy rain have created hazardous conditions across Centre County, particularly Howard, Curtin Twp, Liberty Twp, and additional rainfall is possible,” the agency wrote on Facebook on Wednesday night. “Flooding can develop quickly, especially near creeks, streams, low-lying areas, and roadways.”

Flood watches remain in effect until Thursday night for all of Centre County as storms with heavy rainfall and strong winds are again forecasted throughout the day

Road closures reported as of 8 a.m. by PennDOT and local emergency communications included:

• Fox Hollow Road from Toftrees Avenue to the I-99 overpass in Patton Township.

• Marsh Creek Road between Howard Divide and Bald Eagle Valley roads.

• Monument/Orviston Road/Beech Creek Road

• Hunter Run Road at Bald Eagle Valley Road