More rain falling atop saturated ground could force Pittsburgh river levels to their highest point in 14 years, public safety officials warned Friday, urging caution across the region this weekend.
Flash floods and landslides may menace neighborhoods and roadways as showers douse the region Saturday and Sunday, the latest soaking after 19 wet days already this month. Early predictions suggested the confluence at Point State Park, Downtown, could crest at nearly 31 feet — just about the level seen during Hurricane Ivan in 2004, city fire Chief Darryl Jones said.
“I’m praying the levels don’t get that high,” Chief Jones said.
The fountain at the park floods when the river levels reach 23 feet. Flood water covered the entire Point area when Ivan’s remnants struck Western Pennsylvania. More than a dozen major roads in Allegheny County closed.
This time around, the National Weather Service on Friday forecast almost an inch of rain by Saturday morning. An extra 1.5 to 2 inches could arrive before the soppy weather ends Sunday.
Combine that with the several inches of precipitation logged since Feb. 1, and this month could be the wettest February in local records. Pittsburgh International Airport, where official weather information is collected, notched 6.28 inches of precipitation through Friday afternoon; the record for the month is 6.52 inches, set in 1887.
“Actually, I’d think there’s a good chance we’ll break that record by [Saturday] morning at the latest,” said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with in the NWS office in Moon. “And if we don’t by then, we’ll get it by Sunday morning.”
Mr. Hendricks was blunt in his assessment for the weekend: Water-logged terrain and waterways filled to the brim mean all that rainfall won’t have anywhere to go. In addition to flood warnings and advisories for the region’s rivers, the weather service also issued an areal flood watch for the region, meaning possible flooding over a large area. The weather service said people living or working in flood-prone areas — or driving near them — should be ready to take action if waters rise.
“Even if the road is not barricaded or closed off, you see water that’s coming up, just turn around. It’s not worth it,” said Wendell Hissrich, the Pittsburgh public safety director.
The city anticipates river levels could crest as low as 25 feet, which is still enough to swamp the “bathtub” section of the westbound Parkway East, near Grant Street, Downtown, Mr. Hissrich said. The highest levels weren’t expected until late Saturday or Sunday.
Flooding this week already has closed the 10th Street Bypass and the Monongahela Wharf parking lot. Mr. Hissrich said the city will probably close bike lanes on Penn Avenue from Stanwix to Sixth streets — perhaps Saturday — to accommodate pumps that can protect an underground steam system Downtown.
Pittsburgh likely will have three flood response teams on deck by Saturday afternoon, each one trained in swift-water rescues, Mr. Hissrich said. The city also left road barricades near flood-prone areas and girded for rush hour Monday morning, when flooding-related closures could jam up commuters.
Another traffic complication: a Downtown rally for union jobs is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Monday near Grant Street, with Mayor Bill Peduto listed to speak at a Mellon Square kick-off event. Hundreds of people are expected.
“We may be able to talk to [organizers] about the timing or the direction of the march,” Mr. Hissrich said.
He encouraged people to follow news reports and perhaps adjust their Monday commutes to accommodate any traffic changes.
The city also encouraged residents with flood-prone basements to safeguard their belongings. To report flooding or landslides, residents should call 911, city and county officials said. Regular updates from the county will be posted at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. at http://twitter.com/allegheny_co and http://facebook.com/alleghenycounty.
At the state Department of Transportation, spokesman Steve Cowan said road closures may extend to the eastbound portion of Interstate 376 that crosses from the Fort Duquesne Bridge into Downtown. He nudged drivers to be vigilant on wet roads.
“We want to make sure that motorists slow down,” Mr. Cowan said. “Hydroplaning can be an issue.”
First Published: February 24, 2018, 2:14 a.m.
