Westmoreland County fire departments gear up for possible flood rescues

Fire departments and water rescue units in Westmoreland County were preparing Tuesday for possible flooding that could be caused by heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida drenching the region.

“We want to make sure we got everything in order. Guys are checking the pumps, the life preservers and rope throw bags,” Kurt Rose, chief of the Darlington Fire Department in Ligonier Township, said Monday night.

Darlington’s fire territory in eastern Westmoreland County has numerous houses along Loyalhanna Creek, which cuts through the township as it flows toward Latrobe. Flooding has been a problem for houses near the creek in the past, most recently in 2018.

Hurricane Ida is expected to bring heavy rain into the region starting Tuesday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a flash flood watch for the entire region from 2 a.m. Wednesday into early Thursday.

The Greensburg-Latrobe area and northern Westmoreland County are predicted to receive 2 to 3 inches of rain, while the mountain region in the Ligonier area and eastern end of the county is expected to see 3 to 4 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. forecast as of Tuesday morning.

Some areas could see up to 6 inches of rain between Tuesday and Wednesday, said Lee Hendricks, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Moon.

Westmoreland County Public Safety Director Roland “Bud” Mertz said the agency reached out to local emergency management coordinators, fire chiefs, police chiefs, EMS directors, Red Cross and experts in everything from human services to health care to ensure there’s a coordinated effort to tackle whatever challenges the impending storms may bring.

The county’s swift water rescue crews will be on standby, Mertz said.

“As the event escalates, they’ll be monitoring, and we’ll put them on standby as needed when we start getting certain criteria from the National Weather Service,” Mertz said.

At the garage housing the boats used by the Greensburg Fire Department’s dive team and water rescue team, Duane Spencer, a lieutenant on the team, was inspecting the inflatable swift water boats Tuesday morning, checking to make sure there was sufficient air in the six boats and the necessary gear was already was stowed inside.

“You have to get your stuff ready now. You don’t want to wait till you’re putting your boat in the water to put the gear in the boat,” such as life preservers, tools and throw ropes, Spencer said as he inspected the rafts stored near City Hall.

One Ligonier Township resident living along Loyalhanna Creek spent some of Monday removing items from his basement, in preparation of the possibility that the creek in his backyard might overflow its banks.

“We tried to do the best we could to get stuff out of the basement,” said Sam Griser of Green Acres, a small cluster of houses off Route 30, east of Ligonier.

His furnace and hot water tank, however, can’t be moved and will be exposed to any basement flooding.

Griser said his house has only been flooded once since moving to that area in 2006. But, that was bad enough that he lost his pool table — too big to move upstairs — as well as tools. Flood insurance would not pay for damage to such movable property, he noted.

Safe driving tips

State police reminded motorists to avoid driving on flooded roadways and to use their vehicle’s headlights when using their windshield wipers and avoid driving on flooded roadways.

Be alert for roadway debris such as fallen trees and limbs, downed power and utility lines, and washed out pavement, gravel, or fallen rocks.

Beware of standing water and ponding on roadways. Consider taking an alternate route if driving through areas known to flood.

Police advised that motorists should carry an emergency travel safety kit to include a flashlight, cell phone charger, jumper cables, gloves, boots, blanket, bottled water and first aid kit.