How are we doing, Outdoorsy friends?
The atmosphere has been quite in flux, with dangerous steaminess and sogginess over the July Fourth weekend. Just over the bridge, Camden experienced what local officials called the worst flooding they have ever seen in the city.
Read more New York construction scare highlights the challenges of converting offices into housing
On the heels of yet another flood watch for parts of our region, we’re taking a look at the Philadelphia area’s most flood-prone waterways.
Plus:
-
Rowing abroad: A team of local breast cancer survivors are taking their oars across seas.
-
It’s getting hotter: Climate change is pushing summers in July to new heights.
-
Your outdoorsy experience: We missed a good farmers market! A reader tells us about her favorite.
☂️ Saturday showers are possible, but we should be otherwise dry, though our soils need more moisture.
— Paola Pérez ([email protected])
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Flood zones
Flooding is a perennial threat in the Philadelphia region, so we set out to pinpoint where they happen most often, and therefore are most likely to happen.
According to an Inquirer analysis, the top two in the last 20 years are:
🌊 The East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, which registered 33 major and moderate floods.
🌊 The Delaware River at Burlington, which saw seven major and 19 moderate floods.
Explore our map to see more of our area’s most flood-prone waterways, and learn how funding plays a role in monitoring and operating the tools that track this information.
News worth knowing
-
July in Philly has become 4.4 degrees hotter since 1940 on average. Nights are even warmer.
-
Philly and its surrounding counties are set for what could be a record-breaking $322 million in federal and state money for trails.
-
A scrap metal recycling plant will reopen afterCamden suspended its operations following a late-May fire, the most recent in a string of fires in recent years.
-
A spring freeze destroyed crops in South Jersey. But farmers are surviving with higher prices, bigger pumpkin patches, and crowd funding.
Read more Will MLB’s outreach to Black fans with the HBCU Swingman Classic at Citizen’s Bank Park resonate?
🌳 Your outdoorsy experience
We recently talked about the area’s best farmers markets. Clare Cosenza wrote in to tell us about one that we missed:
In your list of best farmers markets, I didn’t see any Bucks County markets represented. I would like to introduce you to one that many consider a gem.
It’s Wrightstown Farmer’s Market, located at the Middletown Grange Fairgrounds in Wrightstown. Supported by the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance, these dedicated volunteers organize not only vendors but music entertainment, activities for the kids, and donations for local food banks.
Thanks, Clare!
📥 I want to hear from the rest of you: What are you doing outside this summer? Is there a fun trail we should check out? Do you have a favorite swimming spot? Tell me about it. You may see your memories and stories featured here. (Pictures, if you have them, are always welcome.)
Rowing ‘like an athlete’
🎤 Now we’re passing the microphone to sports editor Isabella DiAmore.
It was Valentine’s Day 2022 when Shannan McConnell found a rash near her neck that felt like a lump. Then, everything went awry. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and quickly began her treatment.
There wasn’t much time to process what was happening to her, she says.
McConnell is no longer in active treatment, and even though her doctors have told her, “you’re cancer free — you can put this behind you,” she can’t. Many cancer survivors can’t, she says. However, for the past three years, McConnell has found an outlet that has given her strength and community. It’s paddling in a boat with a group of women.
WeCanRow-Philadelphia is a rowing program through Whitemarsh Boat Club for breast cancer survivors. The Philly chapter is supported through the Survivor Rowing Network, which has more than 30 participating programs around the nation. It came to Philly in 2018 and currently has 46 members. — Isabella DiAmore
Go, WeCanRow! They’re traveling to the United Kingdom for a competition this weekend. Keep reading their story here.
Paola’s picks
🥵 A song: “Too Hot” by Kool & The Gang.
💡 A set of tips: Know the symptoms and treatment for dehydration and heat exhaustion.
📱 A text service: The Shore Line is a fun bite-size dispatch from down the Shore.
👟 An inspiration: This Philly man’s record-setting run across Pennsylvania.
🫐 An activity: Blueberry Festival at Linvilla Orchards (Saturday, $11), and visit Calder Gardens (Philly residents get free admission through July).
A flowing view
👋🏽 Stay safe out there, and I’ll catch up with you again soon.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Read more One year of inspections at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital: April 2025 — March 2026