Water Damage Restoration in Monroeville, PA

MONROEVILLE, Pa. —

Heavy downpours were causing flash flooding in the Pittsburgh area on Friday evening.

Parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland counties were being hit hard by the rain.

Floodwater from a creek near Old Fifth Avenue in North Versailles triggered a massive response from several area fire departments Friday night.

“Number one, we’re pumping the basements out. Number two, we’re checking electrical to see who got to be displaced," said Bud Pusey with the West Wilmerding Volunteer Fire Department. "Right now we have about 10 displaced.”

Pusey said 15 homes were impacted and at least one had structural issues. Luckily, he said, nobody got hurt.

“We’re taking precautions, making sure everyone's safe. Especially when the water was intense, we had the swift water team notified. So, we’re doing everything we can to be cautious around the rushing water," Pusey told Pittsburgh's Action News 4.

In Monroeville, floodwaters rushed down Mosside Boulevard (Route 48). The Broadway Boulevard intersection was also flooded.

“I went every different direction. The cops have pretty much every road blocked off," said Ethen Syme, who couldn't get to work because of the floods.

The parking lot of Lokay Lanes on Route 48 was covered by water, with tree debris floating through the bowling alley's parking lot.

“It's crazy. I want to go home," said Nick Sherer.

Sherer and many others were stuck at the neighboring Speedway gas station, waiting for the water to recede.

“I'm just patient. My wife and I, we’re just going to wait it out. There’s food here, there's gas here, and there’s a bathroom," said Jim Chavis.

In White Oak, Rainbow Volunteer Fire Chief Brandon Schmidt said roughly six cars needed help to safety. He said three of the borough's main drags were hit the hardest: Lincoln Way, Long Run Road and Jacks Run Road.

“If you try to drive through it, there's the issue of your engine stalling out, getting water locked and then you're stuck and you're in high water the firefighters got to come get you," Schmidt said.

Pittsburgh's Action News 4 also saw flooding in Harrison City, Westmoreland County, where the rushing water moved large debris and garbage through the streets, and in McKeesport and North Versailles in Allegheny County. (See video below.)

Share your weather photos (if it's safe in your area):

Flooding was also reported along Bushy Run Road in Export and nearby in the Manor area of Westmoreland County. (See video below)

Another viewer shared a photo from Tri-Boro Expressway between Turtle Creek and Pitcairn, where half of a vehicle was submerged in water.

Heavy rainfall Friday that began in the afternoon caused flooding in low-lying areas of the Pittsburgh region, prompting evacuations in some communities.

The National Weather Service in Moon said emergency management officials in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties reported flash flooding as a result of up to 3.5 inches of rain in some areas. Pitcairn, Murrysville and Export were particularly hard hit, and the weather service said evacuations were necessary in Plum, Monroeville and Murrysville. No serious injuries had been reported.

The region was under a flood warning until 1 a.m. Saturday, the weather service said.

At least three people were rescued from two homes in North Versailles and one person was rescued from a stranded vehicle on Route 48 in White Oak, according to Allegheny County emergency services spokeswoman Kasey Reigner. She said county swift- water rescue crews had begun staging Friday afternoon, but those were the only rescues. Streams in many areas had begun to recede by 8 p.m.

In Murrysville, flooding shut down a swath of Old William Penn Highway, from the Cozy Inn to Export Tire. Police reported downed trees and wires, landslides and washed out gravel. Police said first responders had evacuated residents from those areas.

Swift-water rescue crews were out on the western side of Westmoreland County, officials said. The United Methodist Church in Harrison City opened as a shelter for displaced residents, according to county commissioner Ted Kopas.

And according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the weather forced the closure of several roadways:

• Route 48 (Mosside Boulevard) between Haymaker Road and Route 130 in Monroeville due to flooding and downed utilities.

• Route 48 (Mosside Boulevard) between Route 130 and Wall Avenue in Monroeville and North Versailles due to downed utilities.

• Route 48 (Jacks Run Road) between Lincoln Way and McKee Road in White Oak due to a landside.

• Route 51 (Saw Mill Run Boulevard) between Crane Avenue and I-376 (Parkway West) in Pittsburgh due to flooding.

• Route 2112 (Electric Avenue) between Route 30 and the Tri-Boro Expressway in North Braddock and East Pittsburgh due to a landslide

According to the NWS, up to an inch and a half of rain had fallen in parts of central Allegheny County by about 6 p.m. The NWS said there were reports of flooding in Pittsburgh from Bigelow Boulevard to the Bloomfield Bridge.

NWS meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said the rain was caused in part by a cold front that moved into the area Friday afternoon. Combined with warm air, several showers and thunderstorms developed near the cold front, eventually leading to the prolonged period of heavy rain.

The weather also led to a rain delay of nearly 90 minutes for the Pirates game against the Phillies at PNC Park.

Power outages were also reported across the Pittsburgh region following the heavy rainfall.

According to Duquesne Light, about 2,500 customers were without power as of 9:45 p.m. First Energy reported only a handful of its customers were without power in its Western Pennsylvania service area.

Here are locations that were experiencing flooding, according to the weather service:

Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Monroeville, Plum, West Mifflin, Murrysville, Wilkinsburg, North Versailles, Swissvale, Forest Hills, Wilkins, Turtle Creek, North Braddock, Pitcairn, Trafford, Edgewood, Churchill, Delmont, Wilmerding and Braddock.

MONROEVILLE, Pa. — A portion of a road in Monroeville is scheduled to close for several months for construction.

Patton Street will close between Monroeville Boulevard and Mount Pleasant Drive starting at 9 a.m. on June 9.

The closure is expected to be in place until September.

Southbound traffic will be detoured using Monroeville Boulevard, Stroschein Road, William Penn Highway (Business Route 22), I-376 West, Beulah Road (Route 130), Brown Avenue (Route 130), and the Tri-Boro Expressway (Route 130). Northbound traffic will be detoured using the Tri-Boro Expressway (Route 130), Brown Avenue (Route 130), Beulah Road (Route 130), Churchill Road, I-376 East, William Penn Highway (Business Route 22), Stroschein Road, and Monroeville Boulevard.

The Allegheny County Department of Public Works said residents living within the closure area will have access to their homes at all times.

Patton Street is used by an average of 8,217 drivers daily, according to the county.