For the residents of Tremont borough and other sections of Schuylkill County, the third time was not the charm.

It is almost impossible to fathom how these areas and several others in Eastern Pennsylvania have been so unlucky to have experienced torrential deluges three times in a month, the most recent on Sunday night and Monday.

In some cases, residents have lost virtually everything — again. And this is not the first time this has happened. In 2011, some of these same residents experienced devastating and destructive flooding.

I was watching The Weather Channel for hours Monday, mesmerized by the scenes before my eyes. I am used to seeing this kind of extreme weather in the Midwest and the South, where fierce storms are prevalent at certain times during the year. Here in our area, however, we have generally been immune to these cataclysmic events.

Some of these areas have gotten more than a foot and a half of rain so far this summer. Before the end of August, we might set an all-time rainfall record, eclipsing 1955 when back-to-back tropical storms assailed eastern Pennsylvania and New England, causing widespread flooding and more than 100 deaths.

While there have been numerous water rescues, the one blessing is that there have been no storm-related deaths or serious injuries in our area, although there have been several storm-related deaths this month in other parts of Pennsylvania.

There was a close call in Port Carbon on Monday when two boys chasing a football fell into Mill Creek and had to be rescued. Both were shaken up, but neither was seriously injured.

Later in the day, 50 young rafters were rescued from the Lehigh River.

Residents in downtown Pottsville, where a state of emergency was declared, said they had never seen it so bad. Calling it “insane,” one resident said he saw cars with water up to their roofs. Other residents reported seeing kayaks on Progress Avenue and children swimming in the downtown area.

So what’s next? The residents of these hard-hit areas are caught between a rock and a hard place. There is no easy answer to this predicament. Pick up and move away? Not always an option, especially for those who own their own homes.

With flood upon flood upon flood, who is going to buy flood-prone property right now, even if residents were in a position to sell and move? This is especially true since the ingredients for more of this flooding still exist and will continue to persist until a solution is found to break the pattern.

The answer has to involve creative and ingenious engineering and a concerted approach from all branches of government.

Engineers have come up with solutions in other flood-prone areas across the country, and this is what is needed in areas along the creeks and waterways that flow through Tremont, Pottsville, Pine Grove, Port Carbon and other hard-hit areas of Schuylkill County.

There are some areas which bear the brunt of danger and destruction with every intense rainfall, and these are obviously the most susceptible and the most in need of immediate attention.

Tremont Mayor Ricky Ney has called a meeting at the borough hall for 6:30 tonight to advise residents on how they can get assistance from governmental and local resources. He also said that he hopes that some near- and long-range solutions can be discussed.

The big question, of course, is whether what we are seeing has been triggered by climate change and global warming. I don’t have an answer, but I do know that those who study such matters insist that global warming is already making its presence felt on the livelihood and traditions of Pennsylvanians. They say that we are already seeing longer and more intense summer storms and heat waves, reduced winter snowpack and declining yields of key agricultural crops.

Large population centers, such as Allentown, are experiencing extreme heat and air pollution events in ever-greater numbers with each passing summer. Allentown, Scranton and other larger cities in the state have historically averaged fewer than 10 days a year where temperatures have hit 90 or above, but if steps are not taken to control the emission of greenhouse gases, the number is expected to rise to more than 40 days by midcentury and 24 days where the temperature will hit 100 or more.

Increased rainfall is not only destroying property, but it is already overwhelming aging sewer systems in many communities in the area. The cost of upgrading these facilities is going to be staggering, but these are realities we must face, and the sooner, the better.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com