The Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat churns past the city.
Once again, the Susquehanna River is rising in Harrisburg, which means the Pride of the Susquehanna has been forced out of service.
The iconic red-and-white riverboat today was moved to Sanctuary Island north of its home on City Island to wait out the high water.
“Words cannot express how disappointed we all are over this latest bout with flooding,” said board Chair Deb Donahue. “This is the third time this year that all scheduled cruises have had to be cancelled.”
Late Tuesday, the water level rose above the “action stage” of 11 feet as measured from the gauge in Harrisburg. The National Weather Service forecasts the river to peak at nearly 15 feet around midday on Thursday before falling back again. In Harrisburg, the flood level starts at 17 feet, but the Pride’s dock on City Island is inundated well below that mark.
The Harrisburg Area Riverboat Society, which operates the riverboat over its six-month season, has now lost six weeks of sailing since April. Donahue said that the loss of revenue, as well as dock repairs, has put a tremendous financial strain on the nonprofit organization.
Donahue said she hopes that the Pride will be able to resume scheduled cruises and sightseeing tours for the weekend. For more information on cruises or to make a donation, call 717-234-6500 or visit website.
