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A South Carolina mom has died after being caught up in flash flooding in Pennsylvania – as her two young children, aged nine months and two years old, remain missing.
Katie Seley, 32, was among the deceased when heavy rain and flash flooding wiped out roads and submerged homes over the weekend. Her eldest son, aged four, her husband Jim, and her mother Dahlia, 62, survived the deluge.
The death toll in Pennsylvania currently stands at five. Three of the adults were initially found on a flooded roadway that was five feet above ground water in Bucks County.
Approximately 11 vehicles were on General Washington Memorial Boulevard near the river when they were caught in the sudden downpour and three of them were swept away. Eight people were rescued from cars and two from Houghs Creek.
The family, from Charleston, South Carolina, were visiting family in the area when the fierce flooding struck.
Katie Seley, with her husband Jim and their children: Jack, four, Maddie, two, and Conrad, nine months. Jim and Jack survived the flood. Katie sadly was pronounced dead. The two youngest children are still missing
Katie Seley, 32, and her mother Dahlia were caught up in the storm. They were both swept away, but Dahlia made a miraculous recovery and was rushed to hospital. Katie (right) died in the flooding
Maddie, two, and Conrad, nine months, are still missing. Police said this morning during a press conference that the search will continue – and every effort will be made to ‘bring these beautiful children home to their families’
Their vehicles were swept up in the flash flooding – and the father, Jim Sheils, miraculously was able to get him and his four-year-old Jack to safety.
Katie and her mother Dahlia were trying to get the two other children, Maddie and Conrad, to safety when they were all swept away in the intense deluge.
The grandmother Dahlia survived and was rushed to hospital.
But emergency services found mother Katie dead during their search efforts.
Upper Makefield Township Police Department said in an update yesterday: ‘Our commitment to finding the two children who are still missing is unwavering as we will do all that we can to bring them home to their loved ones.
‘We have been contact with the family of these two children and they have asked us to share their story and speak upon their behalf.
‘They are from Charleston, South Carolina and were in the area visiting family and friends. They were on their way to a Bar-B-Q when their vehicles got caught in the flash flood on Rt. 532.
Katie and Jim pictured after giving birth to their youngest child, Conrad, in October 2022
The death toll in Pennsylvania currently stands at five. Three of the adults were initially found on a flooded roadway that was five feet above ground water in Bucks County
‘Dad, miraculously, was able to get himself and their 4 year-old son to safety, but the mother and grandmother who were trying to get their 2 other children, ages 9 months and 2 years to safety, were all swept away by the raging flood waters.
‘Unbelievably, the grandmother survived and was treated at a local hospital.
‘However, the lovely mother of these two beautiful children was one the people we found deceased during yesterday’s search efforts.
‘So, it is their two children we are looking to bring home.’
They said this morning during a press conference that the search will continue – and every effort will be made to ‘bring these beautiful children home to their families.’
Police said: ‘Today, the search will continue for the two children who are still missing.
‘Due to more favorable weather conditions, we have been able to triple the assets deployed as our search areas widens.
Gushing floodwater is seen during the flash floods in Pennsylvania
One of the cars that was swept up in flooding that occurred on Washington Crossing Road in Pennsylvania
Police say that the search for the two young children is still on this morning. Their mother is confirmed to be deceased
‘We have search teams on foot, teams in boats searching the Delaware River, we are utilizing drone teams, diver teams, and sonar technology.
Every effort will be made to bring these beautiful children home to their families.’
Peter, who is Katie’s uncle and Dahlia’s brother, wrote on social media following the police update: ‘The grandmother is my sister…this is so devastating, but your updates and all the supportive comments have been comforting.
‘Thank you to all the first responders working tirelessly to find my niece’s two children.’
Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer said the storms dumped about six to seven inches of rain in an hour, added: ‘In my 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it.’
‘I thought Hurricane Ida was the benchmark, but this is the benchmark,’ Brewer said, referring to the deadly and extremely destructive Category 4 storm in 2021 that became the second-most damaging and intense hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. behind Hurricane Katrina.
Earlier Sunday in Lakewood, New Jersey, multiple homes were evacuated after lightning struck a gas line and set it on fire.
The lightning strike appeared to hit a tree and underground pipe on Madison Avenue in the Lakewood area of New Jersey, which ignited the fire, officials said. It happened around 6 a.m. Sunday.
