Topline
Severe rain brought floods to the Pittsburgh area Thursday night, prompting emergency personnel to carry out water rescues, while some residents in the region were urged to evacuate their homes as weather officials warned of severe thunderstorms affecting parts of the eastern U.S. through Friday
Key Facts
A flash flood warning by the National Weather Service remains in effect until early Friday morning, after Pittsburgh and its surrounding areas received as much as 4 inches of rainfall Thursday.
Water rescue teams in boats saved several people in the suburb of Oakdale, as its downtown area was submerged under several feet of water, CBS local affiliate KDKA reported.
Public safety authorities in Pittsburgh announced road closures and the activation of floodgates, as they warned residents to “not drive around barricades,” and noted that at least one woman was rescued from a “car sinking in rising waters.”
Officials in Etna, another Pittsburgh suburb, issued an evacuation notice for people living in flood zones after water levels in a local creek rose to 14 feet and warned that emergency personnel may not be able to reach people who choose to remain in their homes until flood waters recede.
What To Watch For
In its latest update on Thursday, the National Weather Service said a large and growing low-pressure system moving across from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast is “the driving force behind active weather throughout the eastern United States until early this weekend.” The forecast warned of instances of flash flooding along with severe thunderstorms across the region through Friday. The agency added that flood watches remained in effect between northern New Hampshire and central Maine.
Surprising Fact
This month is already the Pittsburgh area’s 3rd wettest April on record and will likely take the top spot by the end of the month, the local NWS office said on X. The first 11 days of April were also the “wettest 1st 11 days for any month on record.”
Further Reading
Flood waters swamp parts of Pittsburgh area (CBS News)
Torrential rain triggers dangerous flash flooding in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh Post Gazzette)
