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Local officials preparing for potential weekend flooding, landslides, street closures

PITTSBURGH — Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh are preparing for the impacts of heavy weekend rain, including anticipated flooding and street closures.

Residents countywide are being urged to be vigilant about street and highway closures, possible power outages and landslides and other weather-related issues. Motorists are advised to turn vehicles around if they encounter pooling water on the roads.

Several inches of rain are expected through Sunday, creating concerns for downtown Pittsburgh, low-lying areas, hillsides and riverfronts.

Officials are anticipating that the 25-foot flood stage downtown to be reached by Sunday morning.

TRENDING NOW:

Allegheny County officials are encouraging residents and businesses to prepare themselves for potential floods this weekend.

With projections of potentially 2-3 inches of rain falling in Allegheny County through Sunday, officials said creek water levels are all expected to rise – with possible river flooding on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers.

Officials also said the landscape throughout the county is “sodden and can be unstable.” They said residents should be mindful of landslides, sinkholes, excessive groundwater and other hazards.

ROAD CLOSURES

Starting Friday morning, sections of the Penn Avenue bike lanes between Sixth and Stanwix streets will be closed so that Pittsburgh Allegheny County Thermal, which has tunnels vulnerable to flooding, can stage a pump in one of its vaults, according to a news release from the city. If the pump is activated, Fort Duquesne Boulevard might also be closed between Sixth and Stanwix streets, as well as other adjacent streets.

While the 10th Street Bypass is already closed, the following streets are also flood-prone and are subject to closures:

  • River Avenue on the North Shore
  • Washington Boulevard
  • The "bathtub" section of I-376 Westbound
PREPARATION

The Department of Public Safety, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure are planning for weather events, as are other local, state and federal partners.

Public Safety is: 

  • Readying EMS, fire and police flood response units and swift water rescue teams
  • Preparing pumps and generators
  • Preparing to open its Emergency Operations Center, in conjunction with Allegheny County Emergency Services

DPW is: 

  • Clearing debris from roadway catch basins
  • Acting on standby to help DOMI and other agencies with debris, road closures and fallen trees
  • Putting aside barricades in commonly flooded areas such as the North Shore and South Side
  • Monitoring approximately 400 miles of county roads for hazards and other emergent issues
  • Responding to needs relayed by Allegheny County Emergency Services

Officials said the DPW addressed 1,265 pothole complaints between Monday night and Wednesday evening. However, the cold-patch asphalt placed in the potholes will likely become dislodged during the heavy rains.

DOMI is primarily responsible for responding to any events that block or damage roadways. It is: 

  • Designating on-call staff to respond to roadway events
  • Notifying outside contractors in case assistance is needed
  • Monitoring roadways it has evaluated to be most prone to landslides
  • Developing alternate routes around closed streets to ensure continued access and mobility to the public
 

Cox Media Group

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