Pittsburgh area faces flood risks as rivers rise
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Rivers are rising across the Pittsburgh area, spilling onto roads and swamping homes.
All across the area, record-setting rain led to widespread flooding.
As the rain continues to fall, the worst is yet to come. Rivers like the Ohio haven't even crested yet. In Fayette County, the National Weather Service says the Youghiogheny River has surpassed its flood stage of 20 feet and is heading toward the major flood stage at 24 feet.
Over the last three days, Pittsburgh has recorded 4.07 inches of rain, the National Weather Service says, and that total could grow with showers expected to last through overnight.
Bentleyville, Washington County declares state of emergency
As the rain continued to fall across Washington County, Bentleyville Mayor Tim Jansante knew he had to act quickly to keep his community safe.
"That's the number one priority when you're in government, safety of the people," Jansante said.
After consulting with the fire department, Jansante declared a state of emergency. He says the rain has resulted in flooded basements, power outages and road blockages throughout the borough.
"They went around and saw all the streets that were flooded and the park. We wanted to make sure the people were aware they stay off the streets that were in bad shape," Jansante said.
Richardson Park was hit hardest in the borough. The park spans over 300 acres and offers a wide range of activities including 6 miles of hiking trails and a playground which was all partially submerged in water this morning.
"We had two bridges that go over from the main part of the park to the secondary section of the park for the young kids. There were two bridges there, the second bridge is no longer with us," Jansante said.
Jansante says he extended the state of emergency in the borough to 72 hours just to be safe. He adds if any more rain falls, the ground won't be able to hold it because it's already saturated.
"When you declare a state of emergency, that helps you in case there is any ability to recover some of the funds that were spent on the roads that are ruined," Jansante said.
Connoquenessing Creek overflows
After deluges of rain for the past few days, the Connoquenessing Creek in Beaver and Butler Counties unleashed its wrath. It flooded communities like North Sewickley Township forcing roads and bridges to shut down. The Riverside School District did a remote day with the bad weather.
It came up fast so that by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dennis Brandt and his family evacuated their house, which is now surrounded by water.
"I drove my truck through it still. Now you're just screwed," Brandt said about when he left.
According to Beaver County emergency crews, there were a handful of people who had to be rescued from homes in Marion, Franklin and North Sewickley townships. All are areas where the Connoquenessing runs. One county over in Butler County, it was more of the same.
"I didn't think it would be this bad. I was kind of surprised," Art Black of Renfrew said.
In Renfrew, just outside of Butler, the Connoquenessing left a swampy mess. Main Street and a couple of parks near the water were flooded.
"We're standing right on the edge of the park," Keith Shore said while pointing out how far the water had come out of its banks.
Debris was floating in the rushing water and slammed into the bridge that carries Meridian Road through the town. All this is a far cry from what people would see here on a normal day.
"It would probably be at least 4 to 6 feet below where it is right now, sort of a calming tranquil setting," Shore said.
Even with all this, people living along it say it's been worse in the past and know they will recover.
As always, first responders want people to remember if you see a road flooded, turn around, don't drown. People living in these areas are hoping the rain stops and we start to dry out.
Flooding closes the "Bathtub" in Pittsburgh
Water levels continue to rise throughout Pittsburgh Wednesday after a historic amount of rain poured down on the Steel City, forcing PennDOT to close major corridors like the "Bathtub" area of Parkway East inbound.
The storm caused folks like Angela Meyer extra time to get to work from the Bridgeville area, with cars backed up on the bridges and tunnels.
"We were delayed by almost an hour," Meyer said. "Just trying to get through all of the flooding and all of the traffic."
The same went for Joss Darling, who lives on the South Side.
"He's late for work," Darling said.
PennDOT decided to shut down the 10th Street Bypass in the early morning hours as the Ohio River got higher and higher, eventually reaching more than 22 feet, flooding the corridor, and the Riverwalk both Downtown and on the North Shore.
Ohio River expected to reach flood stage Thursday
The Mon Wharf will be closed until further notice and people parked there have already been asked to remove their vehicles.
As of early Wednesday morning, the North Shore Riverwalk was already starting to take on water.
PennDOT announced that the 10th Street Bypass in Downtown Pittsburgh has closed due to anticipated flooding.
The National Weather Service says they expect the river to crest at nearly 27 feet sometime mid-Thursday. When the river reaches 22 feet, the 10th Street Bypass floods.
At 24 feet, the area surrounding the Point State Park fountain begins to flood and when it reaches 25 feet, the "Bathtub" portion of the Parkway East begins to flood. PennDOT closed that section Wednesday morning.
An already-flooded area now facing more flood concerns
Numerous roadways throughout the area have been closed due to rising waters and landslides.
Fifth Avenue near the intersection of Lincoln Way in McKeesport appeared more like a stream as KDKA's overnight unit witnessed flooding along the roadway.
Crews also blocked off access to the Mansfield Bridge in McKeesport, an area that frequently floods during heavy rain events.
In a phone interview with KDKA-TV, PennDOT's Lori Musto said that they monitored several trouble areas throughout Allegheny and Beaver counties and closed roads as necessary. Route 68 in Industry Borough and Midland Borough in Beaver County was one area where the roadway needed shut down in several areas due to high water.
Record rain in the Pittsburgh area
Yesterday's 2.68 inches of rain in Pittsburgh is the single most this year and set a daily record for April 2nd. The old record was 1.44 inches set in 2007.
Communities will see an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain Wednesday, with almost all of it happening before noon. The highest totals should be to the east of Pittsburgh in Westmoreland County.
Highs today have already been reached, with temperatures dropping for the remainder of the day. We will be in the 40s this afternoon.
Flooding is still a concern, meteorologists say
While there will be mostly rain showers the rest of the day, flooding is still a major issue.
Flood warnings that replaced the flash flood warnings expire a little before 4 p.m. this afternoon. A flood watch remains for areas east.
Flooding is still happening for multiple streams, creeks and rivers from Ohio, West Virginia to eastern Pennsylvania, where there are flood warnings instead of advisories. Flooding concerns are expected through Thursday evening for the Ohio, Mon and Youghiogheny rivers.
In Sutersville, Westmoreland County, the Youghiogheny River reached a major flood stage on Wednesday. The river only has to be at 20 feet before it starts flooding in Sutersville, and the National Weather Service said it crested at 24 1/2 feet.
The water levels are starting to drop, but many residents have a lot of damage, including Dennis Kimberly, who said his mother;s rental property flooded with nearly 10 feet of water.
And inside Sherry McLay's home, water is almost to the top of the first floor.
First responders said they helped a couple of people leave their homes due to flooding.
"We are going to continue to monitor the situation overnight. I think we are in a pretty good space right now as to the steadiness of the rise of the creek and the river," said Michael Manley, Sewickley Township's emergency management director.
There were no reported injuries.
