Top 10 in 2011: #1 The year of the flood
For generations, Hurricane Agnes was known as the great destructor of the Wyoming Valley.
In 2011, though, a new contender for that title emerged.
In early September, Tropical Storm Lee forced the Susquehanna River to its greatest height on record and devastated the valley in ways that will be remembered for years to come.
In areas of the valley such as West Nanticoke, Shickshinny, West Pittston and Plains Township, entire neighborhoods were wiped out in the flood.
As the water climbed to 42.66 feet on Sept. 9, other areas, such as Forty Fort and downtown Wilkes-Barre, saw emergency crews scrambling to support the levee system and prevent an even greater disaster.
Still, more than three months after the disaster, the signs of loss still speckle the county.
Debris still lines some streets in West Pittston as residents continue to gut their homes and rebuild.
FEMA trailers have filled many of the empty lots in mobile home parks on both sides of the river.
Across the state, more than 25,000 people received a total of more than $98.6 million in aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While the river rose and fell in only a few days, the recovery process could take years.
The enormous and continuing impact on thousands of lives and the infamous legacy it will leave behind, make September's historic flood the most important story of 2011.
Whenever the river begins to rise in the future, folks will say, "I remember when Agnes... I remember when Lee..."