Floods & Resilience: Learning the Language of the Creek

The Bushkill Creek is more than a boundary; it is a recurring character in the park's story.

Introduction

The creek provides the scenic beauty that draws visitors, the cool microclimate that made the park a summer refuge — and the floodwaters that have repeatedly threatened to erase everything.

Over the decades, the Kleins have evolved from victims of the water to its interpreters. They do not merely react to the floods; they anticipate them, treating the rising water as a predictable, though formidable, opponent.

The Recurring Antagonist

Bushkill Park sits on low-lying ground along Bushkill Creek — a location that was central to its appeal and central to its risk. In the early trolley era, the creek offered natural swimming, picnic vistas, and a cool escape from Easton's industrial heat. But that same proximity placed the park within a dynamic flood corridor subject to episodic high flows, bank erosion, and inundation during extreme storms.

Because the park occupies low-lying ground, floodwaters can rise quickly and penetrate buildings and ride foundations, turning aesthetic advantage into recurring physical vulnerability.

⏱️ The Flood Chronology (1984–2024)

The history of the park is written in water levels. Each date represents a cycle of devastation and immediate rebirth:

May 30, 1984 Minor flood 24.31 ft
January 20, 1996 Major flood 30.65 ft
January 28, 1996 Minor flood 22.38 ft
September 19, 2004 Hurricane Ivan remnants 33.35 ft — catastrophic; park submerged 9–10 feet
April 4, 2005 Major flood 37.20 ft — compounded damage
June 29, 2006 Major flood 37.09 ft — stalled recovery
March 12, 2011 Minor flood 26.12 ft
August 29, 2011 Hurricane Irene 25.15 ft
September 9, 2011 Tropical Storm Lee 29.23 ft
August 4–5, 2018 Flash flood Funhouse submerged waist-deep; park reopened within days
December 2020 Flooding Stalled phased reopening efforts
July 16, 2023 Flash flood Nearly entire park submerged; reopened two days later
January 2024 Winter rains Scattered debris and large puddles; volunteer cleanup required

The 2004–2006 Catastrophe

In September 2004, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan caused extreme flooding along Bushkill Creek, inundating much of the park. Water levels rose rapidly — buildings and ride platforms were submerged under roughly 8–10 feet of water — depositing thick layers of mud, dislodging ride vehicles, shorting electrical systems, and wrecking delicate wooden and paper-mâché components of dark rides and funhouse displays.

Contemporaneous reporting estimated at least $400,000 in direct damages from the 2004 event, with cumulative repair costs across 2004–2006 later reported to exceed $1 million.

The park did not recover between events. Subsequent high-water years in April 2005 and June 2006 repeated or compounded earlier damage, stalling cleanup and reconstruction efforts. Rides were sold off, the carousel building collapsed under a heavy snow load in 2014, and the park entered its "coma."

The Mechanics of Resilience

John Klein's approach to flood management is rooted in "Bridge-Reading." He monitors bridge readings as the primary indicator of the creek's rise; a 15-foot reading functions as a practical trigger to evacuate removable motors and seal electrical boxes.

The family stays on-site during severe forecasts, executing a high-stakes ritual of removing sensitive equipment and sealing enclosures. Once the water recedes, the "Power-Wash Protocol" begins — an immediate, aggressive cleaning routine to prevent the mud from setting. As the Small Park Association noted, "The Kleins have engineered a system where the park doesn't just survive a flood; it outruns it."

The "Quick-Disconnect" Engineering: John has re-engineered several of the park's vintage ride motors with quick-disconnect electrical and mounting systems. This allows a small team to pull critical machinery out of the water's path in minutes rather than hours. This innovation turns a potential mechanical catastrophe into a manageable logistics exercise.

The Submersible Control Housing: For equipment that cannot be moved, John has designed custom hermetically-sealed enclosures for electrical controls. These "vaults" protect the delicate circuitry of the kiddie rides even when submerged, drastically reducing post-flood salvage time and ensuring the rides can return to operation the moment the grounds are dry.

The "Mud-Release" Landscaping: In recent years, the Kleins have experimented with specific ground-level materials and drainage paths designed to "encourage" the creek to exit the property as quickly as it enters. By understanding the natural flow-logic of the park's topography, they have reduced the amount of silt and debris left behind, proving that "resilience is as much about the ground as it is about the machines."

The Human Cost

Behind the engineering and the protocols are the sleepless nights and mud-stained boots that few ever see. John recalls the July 2023 flash flood — a sudden surge that submerged nearly the entire park, with buildings partially underwater and a manager's critical toolbox floating away. Remarkably, the park reopened just two days later.

Then there was the August 2018 flash flood that submerged the funhouse waist-deep. Staff hosed down mud and dried ride motors, allowing the park to reopen within days. John remembers hauling motors through chest-deep water, salvaging what they could.

The December 2020 flood stalled phased reopening efforts during a fragile time. The January 2024 winter rains scattered debris across the grounds and created large puddles requiring volunteer cleanup.

As The Morning Call observed, "While the community sees the 'open' sign, they don't see the mud-stained boots and the sleepless nights John and Sue spend listening to the rain."

A Neighbor That Occasionally Forgets Its Boundaries

The creek is not an enemy; it is a neighbor that occasionally forgets its boundaries. The Kleins have learned to speak its language — to read its rises, anticipate its moods, and prepare for its outbursts. They do not fight the water; they work with it, around it, and after it.

This relationship is not about winning. It is about being ready. It is about knowing that the water will come again, and that when it does, the park will be waiting — with quick-disconnect motors, sealed electrical vaults, and a team that knows exactly what to do.

The Promise of the Midway

Bushkill Park will flood again. The Bushkill Creek will inevitably return to claim a toolbox or test the timber of the midway. But as the mud recedes, a more powerful force takes its place: the sight of John and Sue, volunteers like Lois, and the steady hands of the next generation arriving at dawn to sweep, repair, and rebuild.

By fiercely guarding these rituals — the clatter of the carousel, the echo of laughter in Hilarity Hall, and the simple joy of a shared milkshake — the Kleins do more than maintain a park; they offer a sanctuary where time slows down. They are the keepers of a century-old promise, ensuring that no matter how high the water rises, the heart of the midway remains dry.

📖Continue Reading

General Mission & History — The big picture: why Bushkill Park matters and what we're building together.
Read the Mission & History →
The Heart of the Midway — The full overview: from trolley park origins to the 2020 surprise reopening.
Read the Overview →
The Keepers of the Midway — The Klein family, Elwood Smith, and the human stories behind the restoration.
Meet the Keepers →
Rebuilding the Heart — Hilarity Hall, the Carousel, Mom & Pop's Café, and the art of mechanical stewardship.
Explore the Restoration →
Floods & Resilience — How the park learned to "speak the creek's language" and outrun the water.
Read the Flood Story →
Support Our Mission — How you can help preserve this historic landmark.
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Further Reading & Resources — Articles, films, archives, and more for those who want to dig deeper.
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