Officials told rafters and kayakers to leave the Lehigh River Gorge as 4.8 inches of rain closed roads and flooded houses. The river crested two feet above flood stage at 5:30 PM, and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes.

“They’re crazy for going on the river,” said Nelson Norwood, emergency management coordinator for Carbon County . “The water was high. Anything could be coming down the river.”

Local kayakers and rafters feel that Norwood over-reacted; the river’s difficulty was not excessive for skilled class IV boaters under these conditions except for the increased rescue difficulty. But given what was happening elsewhere, authorities probably just did not want to deal with the possibility of further trouble. I can sympathize with, but not support, their actions.