WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The Susquehanna River crested above 38 feet, which is below the top of the levee system protecting tens of thousands of residents in northeastern Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service said today.

Residents of the state capital braced for a deluge headed their way and thousands living in riverfront communities with no flood protection endured catastrophic flooding.

The Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre had been forecast to crest near 41 feet, about the same height as the levee system protecting the city and surrounding towns, but the weather service said the swollen river was slowly receding from a level above 38 feet.

It was the second-highest level ever recorded for the Susquehanna in Wilkes-Barre.

As many as 75,000 residents in Wilkes-Barre and surrounding riverfront communities remain under a mandatory evacuation.