Millvale Flooding Causes Major Damage To Homes, Businesses
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MILLVALE, Pa. (KDKA) – Millvale was hit with a wall of water on Thursday morning, and the rain just didn't seem to want to stop.
It was so bad, the police chief told people to stay out – or stay inside.
From the front door of his French bakery, Jean-Marc Chatellier marveled at what he was seeing this morning.
"All of a sudden it was like a river right in front of the bakery," Chatellier said.
That river was flowing out of Girty's Run and through the basements of businesses and homes throughout Millvale.
"We noticed that the creek was coming up a little bit so we all moved our vehicles we knocked on all the neighbor's doors," said homeowner Anna Bruns.
The muddy waters surrounded homes and flowed through the basements, leaving behind mud lines to mark the high water point.
"I'd say about half of our town was under water this morning, up to the first floor in some locations," said Millvale Fire Chief Karl Cavanaugh.
The folks at Tab's Asphalt and Concrete were supposed to be painting lines at North Allegheny High School.
"Pretty much we are going to be starting over," Tab's owner Tim Kopelic said. "We lost everything."
On a security camera, Kopelic saw the water up against the doors, and by yhr time he got there, the doors had given way.
"It's enormous power to pick up the equipment I have here and push it all the way to the back of the shop and break through a wall," Kopelic said. "It was pretty aggressive."
Throughout the day, volunteer firefighters pumped out the basements and hosed down the streets as everyone waited for the power to return.
