Time Lapse Video Shows Just How Fast Mon River Rises
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The latest round of snow and rain is causing flooding problems along local rivers, and dramatic time lapse video shows just how fast the rivers can rise.
Flooding has prompted the closure of roads in Fayette, Greene, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
With warmer temperatures in the forecast, flooding could really become an issue next week.
Latest: Where Flooding Has Closed Local Roads
On the Allegheny River at New Kensington, Arnold, and on up to Freeport, the ice is about two feet thick.
But once you get further up towards Templeton and Rimersburg, there is as much as eight feet of ice stretching for miles.
So the last thing forecasters, like National Weather Service Hydrologist Joe Palko, want to see is "a large amount of rain in a short period of time combined with very warm temperatures would be the worst condition in terms of ice and breaking it up quickly and really causing a problem."
That's pretty much what caused this mess on the Yough River just two days ago as the multiple miles of ice rushed towards the Mon, damaging anything in its path.
So, for the safety of everyone in the Allegheny Valley, Palko says the Allegheny River needs a gentle melt.
"We use the term 'rotting ice;' the ice rots away, it melts from the bottom and the top, and it gradually just diminishes like an ice cube in a glass of water," Palko said.
And over the next two weeks he says conditions will be idea for a gentle melt.
"Warm days and temperatures dropping below freezing at night - that would be the ideal conditions because you get limited melt in the day and tie freeze up at night for breaking up ice," Palko said.
Flood warnings and an advisory had been issued for Allegheny County.
A flood warning was also issued for the Mon River.
Dramatic video shows just how fast the Mon River rose Wednesday and Thursday.
The time lapse video shows the Monessen boat launch.
You can see the river water creeping up the boat launch.
Geese and ducks can be seen swimming around the flooded areas.
Crews are monitoring ice jams on local rivers that could lead to more flooding as temperatures rise.
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