Fire departments across the Philadelphia suburbs are expanding their water-rescue capabilities as flood emergencies become more frequent and heavy rain intensifies across the region. In Bucks County, recorded rescues of people from vehicles or buildings affected by floodwater rose over the past two decades. Annual counts were 14 or fewer in most years from 2006 through 2018, with a sharp jump to 79 in 2011 during Hurricane Irene. Since 2018, the county has recorded at least 15 water rescues a year, including 84 in 2021, when the remnants of Hurricane Ida brought severe flooding to the area. Records from Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties are less consistent, but firefighters say they are responding to more water emergencies. “What we used to know as normal is no longer normal,” said Shel Winkley, a meteorologist and climate specialist with the nonprofit Climate Central. Warmer air can hold more moisture, increasing the potential for intense rainfall when storms develop. Since 1970, rainfall intensity in Philadelphia has increased 10%, while Allentown has seen a 16% increase, according to Climate Central data. Climate change is one factor in rising flood risks, alongside development patterns and aging stormwater systems that can struggle to handle heavier downpours. The danger is not theoretical. During Ida in September 2021, Downingtown resident Christine Crooke and her husband were evacuated from their townhouse as the Brandywine Creek rose. Water poured into their garage, and firefighters guided them through waist-deep water. When they returned, they found their two cars lost and the ground floor of their home submerged under about two feet of water. Floods have also taken lives. A 2023 flash flood in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, killed seven people, including two children. Coroner’s offices in Chester and Montgomery counties reported at least seven and six flood-related drowning deaths, respectively, since 2000. For Coatesville firefighters, preparing for rescues has meant acquiring equipment that was missing during past emergencies. The city, which sits in a valley along the Brandywine Creek, bought dry suits and flotation devices last year with help from Pennsylvania’s Office of the State Fire Commissioner. Each suit costs about $2,500 and is designed to keep contaminated floodwater out while allowing firefighters to work in it. Before the new gear arrived, some firefighters responding to floods stripped down to shirts and shorts because standard firefighting gear becomes heavy when soaked. “You can’t put a price on people’s safety and lives,” said Peter Huf, chief of the Coatesville Fire Department. The suits have not yet been used in a rescue. West Chester’s Fame Fire Company, which leads swiftwater rescues for the local department, has built up a fleet of inflatable rescue boats, including motorized craft. The company has helped other departments during major storms. During Ida, crews worked through the night, rescuing people from flooded vehicles and homes. Rescue work can bring firefighters into water filled with sewage, debris and fuel. Crews have encountered objects ranging from cars to picnic tables and cement mixers, firefighter Steve Amway said. Training on the Schuylkill River helps volunteers practice boat operations, but cannot fully reproduce the hazards of a flooded neighborhood. Community groups are also working to prepare residents. After Ida, Downingtown neighbors formed the nonprofit Downingtown Strong, which helped turn Central Presbyterian Church into an evacuation center. About 125 people spent time there during the storm, including people rescued from their homes and others unable to get home. The group’s block captain program trains neighbors in preparedness and recovery and currently covers nine blocks. Executive Director Kevin Zeeger said the goal is to ensure residents who may lack resources or support are not left behind before, during or after a flood. For Crooke, the memory of Ida remains vivid, though she said she and her husband have made few changes beyond parking their cars on higher ground when storms threaten. Firefighters and community organizers, meanwhile, are preparing for the possibility that another major flood will come—and that rescue crews will need to be ready.