Tropical Storm Isaias blew through the West End on Tuesday, causing damages to roads and access issues to homes.

“We have not had a rainfall that extreme in decades,” said state Sen. Mario Scavello as he assessed damage to a private road off Kunkletown Road in Eldred Township on Wednesday afternoon.

Charissa Gibson, who lives at 3569 Lakewood Road, came home from her job in Lehighton on Tuesday afternoon just in time to watch a large section of the dirt road break away due to rising waters of Princess Lake. It’s the only way in and out for the residents of the dozen or so homes.

“There was a small hole, but the road was still intact. There was water covering the road. I called my boyfriend, Martin. I sat here and watched it fall away piece by piece,” she said.

From 4 p.m. Tuesday until 3 a.m. Wednesday, she was unable to get home to her two daughters, who were with her roommate.

Her boyfriend, Martin Mehlig, owner of Mehlig Carriers and Excavating, and their friend, Derek Smith, owner of DMS Transport and Excavating, are going to help the residents with cleanup and a temporary bridge over the approximately 75 feet of missing roadway.

“We have to pull the pipe up, then remove some trees, fill it in with shale and send DEP a sketch plan,” Mehlig said.

Chris Kulick, a senior civil engineer hydrologist with the Department of Environmental Protection, was also at the site on Wednesday.

“Our role is to authorize any work that is going to happen and help by issuing emergency permits,” he said.

Scavello and Eldred Township Supervisor JoAnn Bush are going to help the residents with a long-term solution and possible funding.

This was not the first time a section of road collapsed, resulting in stranded residents.

While Gibson, Mehlig, Smith and a crowd of others had gathered Wednesday afternoon on the side close to Kunkletown Road, Barbara Meadows and a small group of stranded residents stood helpless on the other side.

Meadows held up a sign that said this was the third time she needed help due to the broken roadway.

“During the 1955 flood that washed out Stroudsburg, this road fell in,” said Richard Strohl.

Since 1995, his grandmother owned a home near the one Gibson rents. His sister, Rosalyn Strohl, lives there now.

“I called her. She has power and food. She is staying inside,” he said Wednesday.

The private road is owned by Knotslake Inc., said Jeff Burger, a spokesman for his father’s development.

There has been litigation through the Monroe County Courthouse for years disputing who should maintain the road - the residents contributing an equal percentage or Burger entirely.

“We want to help everyone out. Our offices are willing to work with them to come to terms. We will find a resolution,” Bush said.

Trees down, water everywhere

A tree fell into the house at 625 Gilbert Road, across from the Gilbert post office, sometime between 1 and 2 p.m.

A tree belonging to a resident on Short Ridge Drive in Polk Township fell into the gravel roadway leading to his neighbor’s garage and pond.

The drainage pipe between the West End Ambulance building and the ball field next door in Effort worked hard pumping excess water still there on Wednesday. The grass surrounding the pipe was soggy and large puddles were all around the gravel parking lot.

Though the water was not as high Wednesday as it was Tuesday during the storm, getting around roads such as Gilbert Road, Weir Lake Road, Kunkletown Road and Silver Spring Boulevard proved difficult. Drivers had to go around large puddles and loose gravel.

Power outages

Around 1 p.m. Tuesday, Effort Post Office lost power, along with other homes and businesses stretching from Turkey Hill in Gilbert to the CVS in Mount Effort.

“I was not working yesterday, but I was told power went out at 1 p.m. and may not be back on until 8 p.m. Wednesday evening,” said Kim Bennett, clerk at the Effort Post Office.

She assisted customers the best she could without electricity on Wednesday afternoon. She was able to help Franz Moore with his mail but could not issue a money order for another client. Instead, she referred the client to Brodheadsville and Gilbert post offices, which still had power.

Moore said he did not lose power at his home in Albrightsville, but some tree debris and limbs were scattered around his yard.

Some residents of Polk Township lost their power for five minutes. Others lost theirs for a couple hours, according to social media posts.

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Monroe County had 480 PPL customers and 106 Met-Ed customers still without power, according to data posted on their websites.