HELLAM TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- There are still 40 roads closed in York County after the recent flash flooding. County officials say it wouldn't be too much to handle if it didn't keep raining.
Then, crews could make the necessary repairs.
One road in Hellam Township has PennDOT workers and neighbors on especially high alert.
PennDOT crews are monitoring Accomac Road around the clock as it continues to deteriorate because of the rain. Right now, for some people, it's the only route available.
"Better safe than sorry," said one neighbor on Accomac Road.
Neighbors, living on Accomac, air on the side of caution, choosing to ditch their cars and walk the road to their homes.
"We've had to walk this," said Tanya Schmit, a neighbor. "To get to work, to get out, to get groceries - which normal people take for granted."
The road is open to local traffic at the moment. That means just neighbors who drive cars, small pickup trucks, and people on foot have access.
Even that, though, might not last.
"Our crews will be monitoring it 24 hours, just to make sure nothing else starts to go, and if something starts to go, we're not even going to be allowed to let the residents come and go," said Fritzi Schreffler, a PennDOT spokeswoman.
"They're watching it for us, making sure we're safe which is important, and I believe they're trying to find another way out for us if we lose this road, cause we're landlocked - we can't get out any other way," added Schmit.
Neighbors could be stuck because River Drive, which meets Accomac Road, is also closed because of severe flood damage.
"That is very scary, knowing we can't get out, only by a four-wheeler or a bicycle," said Schmit.
"That has been really the biggest concern with all the road closures, was 'how you're going to get a ambulance back there if someone goes into cardiac arrest?' or 'what if somebody's house catches fire, how are you going to get a fire engine through some of these areas?'" said Mark Walters, York County Communications Director.
Walters says the rain and threat of Hurricane Florence is not helping the cause.
"We can't respond to our last weather disaster because we're preparing for our next weather disaster. That's ridiculous, but that's where we're at right now," he said.
PennDOT officials say it's going to be a challenge trying to get equipment down Accomac Road to make repairs. Engineers are working to figure out the best way to fix it, but there's no timeframe on when it could happen because of all the rain.
