SOUTH STRABANE, Pa. — Flooding kept first responders across Southwestern Pennsylvania busy on Saturday.
It was no different for South Strabane firefighters. Except they conducted a large-scale evacuation close to home.
The South Strabane Fire Department says that as storms moved in and began flooding homes, flooding roads, trapping vehicles in stormwater, and triggering fire alarms and fires, members responded almost immediately.
While responding to multiple incidents across the community, firefighters learned of a “significant event” at their Oak Spring Road location — the main stormwater pipe under their parking lot had collapsed.
Within minutes, the lot filled with water. The department says no one was hurt, but the parking lot collapsed, and the station flooded.
About 2 inches of water entered South Strabane Fire Station No. 2 along Oak Spring Road.
Interim Fire Chief Jason Brown said roughly 4 inches of standing water accumulated outside its front door.
“We’ve been mopping and cleaning almost all day,” Brown said Sunday.
Firefighters had just finished training when the storms moved through.
They responded to nearly 25 calls, including three vehicle rescues and a report of a basement wall collapsing at a home, according to Brown.
While crews were responding across the township, an even larger problem emerged outside their own station.
Drone 11 captured a large hole in the parking lot after the main stormwater pipe beneath it failed.
“We got a phone call from one of our members here saying, ‘The parking lot just collapsed,’” Brown said. “The station was taking on water, and they were beginning evacuation of the station.”
About 80 people were inside the fire hall for an annual community event when the storms arrived, and the pavement gave way.
An excavator operator was able to move a nearby shed containing critical equipment away from the collapse.
Brown said none of the equipment was damaged.
Last year, department officials applied for a grant to repair the same pipe system after a storm caused a large sinkhole to form, blocking access to Oak Spring Plaza and causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to the fire hall.
The department was awarded the funds, which were set to be distributed this fall. Repairs could not begin before the distribution.
“Part of the terms of the grant are we’re not allowed to spend any money until we actually receive the funding,” Brown said.
During the storms on Saturday, the department worked with Bioni Industries to stabilize the immediate collapse hazard and slow further damage.
South Strabane Township has now declared a disaster emergency.
Township leaders are asking homeowners and business owners to self-report storm damage as crews conduct assessments this week and determine the next steps for repairs.
Brown said firefighters will continue operating from the Oak Spring Road station as long as the building remains safe.
Emergency response is not expected to be disrupted.
Other activities at the fire hall, however, will likely be affected.
“There is a high likelihood that we will not be having a bingo until we can get the hall put back together,” Brown said.
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