PITTSBURGH — Dozens of roads and some neighborhoods around the region were under water Friday after a storm system dropped heavy rain and warm temperatures quickly melted snow.
- READ MORE: Flooding likely to impact several areas along Ohio River in Pittsburgh
- ROAD CLOSURES: Here’s a list of what’s shut down in Western Pennsylvania because of flooding
- PHOTOS: Flood waters surround homes, close roads through region
Beaver County
There are multiple waterways in Beaver County that crews keep checking.
“You can’t drive through that even though it doesn’t look that deep right there is an intersection that’s 2.5 -3 feet deep,” Laura Hoffman said.
Hoffman talked with Channel 11 along the banks of the Connoquenessing Creek in North Sewickley Township as floodwaters filled her neighbor’s yards.
“This is my yard it’s really not that unusual, it happens more often than usual,” Mary Kusluch said
Kusluch said her family hopes the water starts to recede soon before it will get into their garage, but down the creek things were a bit worse in Franklin Township.
On McKim Way, firefighters rescued eight adults, three kids, four dogs, three cats and a pet baby alligator in a boat as waters rose Friday morning.
Then just down the road, a man drove his truck right into the floodwaters on Mercer Road ultimately having to call for help and abandon the vehicle.
“The barricades are there for a reason, you shouldn’t drive around them or try to drive through standing water,” said Eric Brewer who is the Director of Emergency Services for Beaver County.
Butler County
Road after road was closed Friday in Butler County with many areas dealing with flooded streets and overflowed waterways. In Harmony, some businesses shut down because of the flooding.
“It’s just affecting our bottom line definitely. We lose a lot of sales that way. It’s been pretty rough so it’s not a good day. It’s Friday so that’s one of our busier days,” Wunderbar Coffee and Crepes owner Seth Murphy said.
On Jackson Street on the other side of town, Karen Launer’s home was surrounded by water. It sits right along Connoquenessing Creek.
“I’m used to the creek and quite often the creek will flood us in. And the neighbors will yell if you need anything,” she said.
“Throughout the night we had vehicle accidents, flooded basements, and flooded roadways,” said Doug Pickett with the Harmony Fire District.
Westmoreland County
“I’m hoping to have it on sometime tomorrow, maybe tonight.”
Charlie Kuhn Is the lone neighbor on Bethel Church Road in Unity Township still without power Friday afternoon after a tree came crashing down on wires during Thursday night’s storm.
“The electric lines was going across the road. They weren’t down on the ground like they are now; they were about 4-5 feet going across. I didn’t know that tree came down at that point,” Kuhn said. “A vehicle came down, of course the lines only that high, and hit the line and pulled my meter off the house; and I started smelling a burning owner so I shut my electric off.”
The driver kept going and never stopped.
The Kuhns are keeping warm with their wood burner, waiting on West Penn Power to restore service, and looking into an electrician to put the meter back on their house.
“I’ll probably be responsible to get these wires back on my house to get electric in, so that’s what I’m going to work on today,” Kuhn said.
Meantime, strong winds toppled trees, and closed areas like Ross Mountain Park Road.
In Scottdale, Carson’s Catering had its roof ripped off, shattering the window to the office.
They estimate the damage to be over $100,000.
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