CECIL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Twenty years ago, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan swept through our area, setting rainfall records, destroying property and claiming lives.
All this week, we’re taking a look back at the destructive force of the storm and the massive recovery effort that ensued.
There was certainly no shortage of heroes as the floodwaters rose.
That was especially true for a rescue that was caught on camera with a Channel 11 crew helping to flag down first responders.
Channel 11 news anchor Gordon Loesch was there and caught up with the police sergeant who put his life on the line that day.
A deaf and physically impaired woman was trapped in her car.
Floodwaters from Millers Run Creek had washed out Route 980 in Cecil Township. Marie Drew had no way of escaping on her own.
Loesch sat down with her 20 years ago.
“As soon as I got into it, as soon as I hit the water and splashed, I said, oh crap, this is a lot deeper than I thought. I hit the brakes, threw it in reverse, and I was floating,” Marie said.
A Channel 11 photographer and Loesch were among the first to arrive on the scene.
As Loesch flagged down firefighters, Cecil Police Sgt. Tom Weaver wasted no time and waded through chest-high, fast-moving water to pull Marie out on his own.
“The only thing I remember is walking to the car, the water was pretty deep,” Tom said. “I could feel little cinder blocks going by my feet.”
Tom and his wife haven’t seen a video of the rescue in almost two decades.
After getting Marie out of the car, getting her back to safety proved to be much more difficult.
Firefighters set up a rope system to help guide them out.
Compounding the danger was the fact that Tom didn’t even know how to swim.
“Never even crossed my mind. I just wanted to get to the car and get that person out,” Tom said.
Just months after the dramatic rescue, the Weavers needed some help of their own after their Canonsburg house was hit by lightning and caught fire with damage throughout.
The first person at their door to offer help was Marie.
“She had an envelope with cash in it. We told her, ‘We’re covered,’ and she looked and she said, ‘What’s my life worth? A lot more than what’s in this envelope,’ so, she said, ‘Please take it,’” Tom recalled.
Tom retired from the Cecil Police Department in 2012 after 34 years of serving the community.
And, though, he doesn’t think about the flooding from Ivan very often, the work he did that day is still felt by those he helped and their families.
“Everything happened fast that day. You just went from one problem to another, really, really quick,” he said.
The Weavers told Channel 11 they still stay in touch with Marie. She is now 82 years old and living with her daughter in Georgia.
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