Residents Along Youghiogheny River Await Flooding

Residents who live along the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland and Fayette counties were watching water levels closely on Friday night.

Kellie Vargo lives along the river, and has her family sleeping in shifts to watch the water. "My dad is sleeping now, and then I will be out for so many hours, and then Dave will be up for a few hours. There will be a big circle," said Vargo.

In Smithton, firefighters were making hourly checks on the river.

Assistant Chief Mike Defimone said, "We have gauges in the river that monitor to see how fast it comes up. If it comes up too fast we can warn people to pack up their stuff and get out."

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com for updates on where the flood waters are rising throughout the weekend.