A look back: Carnegie hit hard by Hurricane Ivan remnants 20 years ago

CARNEGIE. Pa. — Sept. 17, 2004. For many western Pennsylvanians, memories from that day can’t be erased.

People trapped, debris and cases of beer floating all over town: Carnegie was one of the areas hardest hit by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan 20 years ago.

Meteorologist Adis Juklo spent time there to look at how the community has rebuilt, without forgetting all it went through.

Ann Shimatzki started her morning by snapping a photo.

By 5 a.m., the flower bed was almost underwater. Followed by everything inside her basement and first floor.

“The water had literally moved the furniture around. TVs were, you know, catty wampus and furniture was upside down and everywhere,” Shimatzki recalled.

Chris Burek was at the Carnegie Beer Outlet a business that he now owns. The loading area slopes back to Chartiers Creek.

“The further back we go, the higher the water came,” he said. “Everything was underwater. Beer was just floating around. Cases of beer, just floating around. Nobody came out unscathed that day, that’s for sure.”

Daniel McGrogran is president of the Historical Society of Carnegie. He remembers one life lost, a person caught in the water who climbed a tree to escape.

“Eventually he fell off the tree and was swept away,” McGrogran said.

He also remembers another other heart-stopping moment.

“There were some young kids trapped in the creek. The local priest came down and he rescued two of them out of the creek,” McGrogran recalled.

Residents living in and near Carnegie won’t forget the moments, big and small, like a borough’s history being preserved.

“We have this miniature Main Street and some exhibits here that they were kind enough to come on foot and take up to our second floor,” McGrogran said.

The kindness of neighbors who worked tirelessly to help those affected dig out, and clean up.

Living through this chapter in the region’s history, then jumping in to help the community come back.

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