Steady rain to continue in Western Pa., flooding possible

Nearly 2 inches of rain have soaked several parts of Western Pennsylvania, with more on the way into Saturday, according to weather forecasters.

Flooding, landslides and other weather-related issues popped up across the region as rain saturated the ground and stormwater began seeking a downhill path via streets and yards.

Throughout the night on Friday:

• Basement flooding was reported in Avonmore, East Vandergrift and several other areas.

• Sections of Old Route 119 north of Youngwood were shut down around 8 p.m.

• A Murrysville driver was trapped in rising floodwater on Borland Farm Road shortly after 8:30 p.m.

• Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville was shut down between Hills Church Road the Fitzsimmons Lane shortly after 9 p.m. Borland Farm Road was also closed from Old William Penn Highway to Arbco Industries.

• In Washington Township, two small tributaries hemming in the Meadows Mobile Home Park overran their banks on the way to Pine Run, flooding landscaping and washing out part of Goldfinch Drive in the residential section of the development.

And throughout the region, roads were closed as they became impassable.

The National Weather Service extended an earlier flood watch for all of Western Pennsylvania until 3:15 a.m. Saturday.

Additional rain up to three-quarters of an inch is expected, with showers tapering off about 2 p.m. Saturday, meteorologists said.

Rain forced the closure of the flood gates at Washington Boulevard in Pittsburgh, which had gotten just over 1.8 inches of rain by early Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Public safety officials said the gates would remain up until Sunday.

In the city’s Troy Hill neighborhood, part of the hillside behind a Shell fuel station on Spring Garden Avenue gave way, with trees pushing up against utility lines and the building itself.

From Trib news partner WPXI:

BREAKING: Spring Garden Ave. shut down in both directions. A tree is leaning on the roof of a Sunoco. A source tells me the hill is “quickly” coming down and the trees could potentially hit the power lines. @WPXI pic.twitter.com/x9Y2OaOtG3

— Sarafina James (@SarafinaWPXI) May 6, 2022

Rain also could result in flooding along the Monongahela River, with the river potentially cresting at 19 feet Saturday and sending water running onto areas such as the Mon Wharf parking area in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“It runs off the surface because it’s so saturated, and into streets and creeks,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said.

In Allegheny County, Forest Hills had the highest rainfall totals at 1.97 inches as of Friday evening, with Pittsburgh not far behind at 1.81 inches, Modzelewski said. In Westmoreland, New Kensington had received 1.78 inches of rain, with neighboring Arnold just behind at 1.57 inches.

The rain caused small landslides along Bailies Run Road in East Deer and Route 993 in North Huntingdon.