WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - People in the Diamond City are not only preparing for a soaker on Halloween night, but city officials are also worried about flooding.
The Wilkes-Barre area expected to get more than two inches of rain on Halloween. City officials are warning residents to get rid of any leaves on their property, so they do not clog any storm drains.
Leaves along West River Street were being raked and vacuumed by the Department of Public Works employees. Workers spent hours getting rid of leaves in Wilkes-Barre ahead of Halloween, so they don't clog up any storm drains and cause flooding. People who live near Solomon Creek have seen that happen several times.
"There is a storm sewer right over there that will block up, and sometimes the street will overflow the curb and come up on the sidewalks," Walter Kwiatkowski said.
The ground here is already soaked from a storm on Sunday that flooded Blackman Street.
According to our Stormtracker 16 team, there will be a moderate risk for flooding on Halloween night.
Xiomara Ocasio and her kids chose to do their Halloween festivities on Tuesday night, so they didn't have to deal with the wet weather on Thursday.
"The road, especially this area, it'll get really, really full within minutes with water. It makes it hard for the cars to actually pass through," Ocasio said.
Department of Public Works employees will be going to streets all over the city to clean up as many leaves as possible ahead of all that rain ahead of Halloween.
While the city is doing its part to pick up as many leaves as possible, people like Kwiatkowski are pitching in to help too.
"I consider it my responsibility to keep it clean in the front right here," Kwiatkowski said.
Department of Public Works employees will be out again on Wednesday and Thursday to clear more leaves ahead of Halloween's anticipated rainfall.