HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A family in Luzerne County escaped rushing floodwaters after a basement wall suddenly gave way.
The homeowner tells us he was inside the basement pumping water out with his family and got out moments before it came down and the basement filled with water.
"Seemed like we got to a point where we were fighting a losing battle, and water kept coming up, and I was down there with my two boys and my wife, trying to decide what we could save," recalled flood victim Matt Choman. "We just were just talking for a minute. All of a sudden, the front wall of the house just collapsed in."
It wasn't easy for Choman to talk about what he and his family went through Wednesday night on Oxford Street in Hanover Township.
On Thursday, fire crews pumped water out of his basement that was destroyed by floodwaters.
"It collapsed, and my wife came running and over, and the boys got ahold of us to push this up the steps. They came up behind us. In about 90 seconds, the basement was filled to the top. If we were in a different spot in the basement, I don't know if I'd be standing here."
Water from Solomon Creek filled up his basement. It came over the bridge, down Oxford Street, and into their home.
"My dad built this building in 1969, and the creek never came over, not once. And for the very first time ever get backed up down there, from the overflow, and it just worked down into the street, and then eventually surrounded the whole building," said Choman.
Choman says most of his family's sentimental items were destroyed. They will work to save what they can. He's just thankful he's here to talk about it.
"I know they're going to work out first and foremost because we're here. And, you know, everything else will take care of itself. You know, we really are very faithful people, and we know you know God was with us last night."
The owner says they need to work with an inspector and construction crews before they can go inside to try to save anything else from their home. He understands the true meaning of flash flooding because he said had they spent another few seconds talking about what to save in their basement, this would have been a much different story.