PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Several rivers throughout the Pittsburgh area have crested at or near major flood stages after record rainfall fell across Western Pennsylvania.
The National Weather Service says the Ohio River in Pittsburgh appears to have crested just after 6 a.m. at 28..37 feet, just shy of the 28.5′ major flood stage mark later this morning.
The river level is at its highest point in nearly two decades and flood warnings continue for the area through tomorrow morning with flooding ongoing in most low level spots.
Flooding impacting Pittsburgh traffic
A number of routes through the city of Pittsburgh have been heavily flooded and are making a major impact from a traffic standpoint.
PennDOT has shut down access to the 10th Street Bypass and the ‘Bathtub’ section of the Parkway East, forcing drivers to find alternate ways around town.
KDKA Drone Team / KDKA Photojournalist Brian Smithmyer
That section of the interstate begins to flood when the river reaches 25′ and the National Weather Service says that river levels have reached nearly 28′. It’s unclear when the two sections of roadway will reopen.
When river levels reach the major flood stage at 28′, Neville Island, the Wood Street ‘T’ station, and Fort Pitt Boulevard can be impacted.
The Riverwalk along the North Shore of the Allegheny River is under several feet of water that are not expected to recede before tomorrow’s Pirates home opener.
Significant flooding across the region
Outside of the city of Pittsburgh, the Monongahela River at Braddock and the Youghiogheny River at Sutersville have crested at major flood stages and will now start to recede.
At Sandcastle Water Park in West Homestead, the Monongahela River has risen high enough to flood parts of the park.
KDKA Drone Team
At Olde Stonewall Golf Club in Ellwood City, several parts of the course and under several feet of water.
KDKA Drone Team
In Greene County, a hillside is falling away from under a building that sits above Ten Mile Creek County Park.
A wet stretch of weather for our area
We just had the wettest 3 day stretch of weather since September of 2018.
We recorded 4.1″ of rain since Monday at the Pittsburgh airport
Light rain and drizzle will continue to keep the ground damp. Colder weather will continue conditions that are prime for landslide movement.
There are winter weather advisories and even a winter storm warning for parts of West Virginia due to snow today and tomorrow
Highs today will hit the mid 40s with lows in the mid 30s and it will be cloudy.
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