PITTSBURGH — We are in the hurricane season and this time last year, Oakdale was under water from the remnants of Hurricane Ida. This is the time of year when we can see tropical systems that bring flash flooding that impacts our lives. While we don’t get direct landfalls here in Pittsburgh, we need to keep our eyes on the tropics, because storms can bring heavy rain and flooding here after landfall. Hurricanes Francis and Ivan in 2004, and Ida just last year, left major marks on local communities and peoples’ lives.
Dane Marshall, owner Of Bob’s Diner in Carnegie, said, “It was a war zone, it was really like a war zone. The wind was blowing trees coming down. I called my mom (and said), ‘Are you OK?’ She said their house just filled up with water and they were on their front porch, and a fire truck took them off the front porch. It was really in this area, the business district, that really got devastated. People didn’t expect it at first, but the rain just never stopped. It just kept coming up and up.”
Luann Watts an Oakdale resident for 25 years, said, “Ivan was really scary. The floods came and it came real fast ... it surrounded my whole house just like that.”
Because Watts lived through both Ivan and Ida, she now prepares for this time of year.
“Starting today I’m clearing closets, getting everything upstairs. My way to prep is try to get everything up I can,” said Watts.
The flooding also changed things for the businesses in Carnegie.
Marhsall said, “Every time it rains ... really hard we start thinking about it, especially this time of year.”
In southwestern Pennsylvania, our hilly terrain funnels heavy rain into creeks and streams and floods our valleys. It’s important to be weather-ready. Make a plan with your family so when severe weather strikes, you’re prepared.
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