EMLENTON, Pa. — Ice is jammed on the Allegheny River for upwards of 10 miles.
One homeowner said that his home saw water rise about 15 feet within 3 hours.
“I’ve been here in this area for 20 years, and I’ve never seen it like this,” said Judy Rowe of Emlenton.
Dozens of people lined the Allegheny River in Emlenton to watch the ice jam.
Brady Louise is a captain with the fire department, but also owns a home close to the bank. When Channel 11 arrived, the ice broke free and Louise paced back and forth, alerting folks down the river, hoping the tons of ice would spare his front deck.
“I would say right now we are 25-30 above normal height of the river with this jam right now,” Louise said.
Venango County commissioners say they are used to flooding in river towns, but after seeing this ice flow underneath a bridge in Oil City, they became concerned.
“The Army Corps of Engineers put in a whole lot of flood controls that have really worked well for the last 40 years. So luckily, we haven’t seen anything this bad in about 40 years,” Venango Commissioner Sam Breene said.
Louise says state police are watching the river from the sky, and local first responders remain connected through radio. Although fascinating to see, he encourages bystanders to stay back and remain alert.
“People coming close, you start looking at it, it starts moving, gets a bit slushy. You slip in, and you could be pulled with the ice,” Louise said.
A siren will go off in town if the water begins to rise and people need to move off of River Avenue.
First responders say they are staying in constant communication and will be monitoring the Allegheny River throughout the entire weekend.
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