ETNA, Pa. — Twenty years after Hurricane Ivan, Allegheny County emergency rescue crews are better prepared today for a flood than ever before.
As a result of the fast-moving storm, the county established a specially-trained swiftwater/flood response team.
It’s made up of local fire and EMS departments, including Pittsburgh River Rescue and volunteer fire departments from communities including Blawnox, Tarentum and Etna.
Chief meteorologist Stephen Cropper spent time with the team, and Etna’s fire chief, Greg Porter.
While on duty at the Etna fire station that day, Porter watched the rain falling.
At first, he thought there might be some basement or street flooding, but then he realized the rain was picking up and bigger problems were on the way.
“Standing outside felt like you were in a rain you’ve never felt before and it became apparent this was gonna be different. We were going to get some serious issues,” Porter said.
An hour later water was flowing into the streets and into the Etna fire station. Scrambling to save their gear, Porter and his crew unhooked a boat from the ceiling and dropped it right into the water.
“About the time the boat hit the water, it was about waist deep. Paddled out of the station and up the street,” he said.
And they shifted from saving their equipment to saving lives.
Using a neighbor’s jet ski and some borrowed canoes they went to work.
They had just had a water rescue class and now they were putting what they learned into practice.
One of the most important parts is what to wear.
“Prior to that, wore whatever equipment they had worn to a fire to flooding-boots, coats, helmet-just what fireman wore,” Porter said.
But they learned that personal protection gear should match the threat they were facing.
“Water is not like a fire, it is incredibly dangerous. Fire is as well, but a completely different environment,” he added. “You don’t always know what’s underneath the water, what’s in the water. Always very careful, vigilant of what can happen.”
In the end, nine feet of water flooded the Etna fire station.
And Porter couldn’t believe what he saw.
“Looking back, still blown away. Remember being here once the water receded looking around and thinking how do we even recover from this-how do we ever get back,” he said.
Homes and businesses were destroyed. But Porter and his crew were not alone.
Etna had come together to rebuild.
“One of the things that always motivated me is love for thy neighbor, and that was certainly an event where we saw that,” Porter said. “While we were trying to help people, people were trying to help us, which was very cool.”
Today, 15 members of the Etna Fire Department are trained water rescue technicians.
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