The Schuylkill River is expected to crest tonight and into tomorrow morning at about 15 feet, its highest level since 1869, according to local authorities. It is already lapping at the Schuylkill Expressway across from Center City and has overrun its banks in some places. This shot was taken at about 3 p.m. today from the South Street Bridge.

Almost a million people along the East Coast are already without power and it seems like a good bet that many of us will be without it for some period of time. We have collected some info on power outages and other info below. Oh, and the State store closes at 9 p.m.

From PECO:

• Customers without power should contact the company at 1-800-841-4141.  The more customers who call to report an outage, the more effectively PECO can dispatch crews and restore service.  The company’s automated telephone system can quickly record your outage, allowing our Customer Care representatives to remain available to handle reports of dangerous situations.

• Stay away from downed wires, damaged electric equipment, and tree limbs and branches contacting electrical equipment.  Always assume PECO’s equipment is energized – even if there is an outage in your neighborhood. Report these dangerous conditions to PECO immediately.

• Turn off and unplug appliances and other devices to prevent possible damage.  Remember to keep one light on so you know when service has been restored.

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.  Move meats, cheese, milk, etc. into the freezer to stay colder longer.  A partially full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 24 hours, and up to 48 hours when full.

From the City:

• What should I do if the street floods due to a clog inlet? A: Call the Philly Water Dept at 215-685-6300

• What shelters are open? A: Three shelters are scheduled to open at 6pm today: Bartram, Lincoln & Roxborough High Schools

• Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW): 215-235-1212

• Philadelphia Water Department (PWD): 215-685-6300

The CVS at 43rd and Locust is not the place to go if you are on a last-minute hunt for batteries or water. They do have plenty of over-priced aromatic candles left though.
 

While sitting at the kitchen just before 2 p.m. today we heard a glass start to move. We figured since it was garbage day on our block that the truck was coming through. Or our dog fell off the couch. Maybe someone moving in next door. Nope, it was an earthquake.

Folks in West Philly were among millions to feel the effect of an earthquake that rolled up the East Coast just before 2 p.m. today. Buildings in Center City were evacuated.

SEPTA sent out a warning that trains and subways would be up to 15 minutes behind schedule. Fire and police crews scoured the city for structural damage and gas leaks. Police asked that people only call 911 for an emergency.

The quake was reportedly felt as far north as Rhode Island.

Today’s pet is Kahuna. He is currently living at the ACCT shelter.

Kahuna is a mostly white, 3-5 year old boy with some brindle patches, and a cute little brown spot above his eye. He’s a medium sized dog.

He loves to play with toys – rope toys, squeaky toys, and kongs. Another great thing about him is that he loves being around people.

Kahuna has a pen pal who is teaching him lots of stuff. He’s learning commands, which he’s doing very well with because he’s very smart. His pen pal is also teaching him to walk like a gentleman on the leash by using an Easy Walk Harness. Kahuna walks pretty well now, but can get a little excited when he sees people or other dogs.

Kahuna loves other dogs so if you want to see him you can bring your dogs with you. He is up to date on all of his shots. He is also microchipped and scheduled to be neutered. In other words: he is ready to go home with you.

If you’d like to meet Kahuna, stop by 111 W. Hunting Park Ave, walk straight to Adoptions (or Lifesaving, if you’d like to foster him). For more information call 267-385-3800 or email: acctadoptions [at] pspca.org

If you cannot adopt him permanently but would like to help anyways, you can consider fostering Kahuna until he finds his happy ending. Fostering will save not only this dog’s life but also the life of the dog that would move into Kahuna’s kennel at ACCT.

High school basketball teams from New York City swept Philadelphia teams in a top-shelf tournament at the Palestra on Sunday. The 4th annual Villa Holiday Classic featured some tight match-ups in every sense of the word, but finished with 4 NYC wins.

Here are the results (From Dylan Butler’s blog at the NY Post):

Bishop Loughlin (NYC) 63, Dobbins Tech (Philly) 54

Boys and Girls (NYC) 62, Imhotep (Philly) 61 in a heartbreaker

Rice (NYC) 69, Penn Wood (Philly) 54

Christ the King 69, Neumann Goretti 66 in overtime