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Flash Floods Kill Mother, 2 Children in Pittsburgh

Flash Floods Kill Mother, 2 Children in Pittsburgh

Workers clear vehicles from the scene of flash flood, caused by heavy rains, along Washington Blvd. where three people died while trapped in their car Friday, Aug. 19, 2011 in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

PITTSBURGH (The Blaze/AP) — Flash floods submerged more than a dozen vehicles in Pittsburgh, killing three people, leaving another missing and presumed dead, and forcing others to swim to safety or scramble onto the roofs of their cars.

A pair of storms pounded the city Friday, overwhelming the drainage system and causing manhole covers to pop off the road, officials said. Water rose to 9 feet in some places along Washington Boulevard, a main road that runs near the Allegheny River.

Rescue crews used inflatable boats to reach marooned drivers, though some swam to safety on their own. Rhodearland “Bob” Bailey of Penn Hills, who is about 80, was rescued from the roof of his car.

“I can swim a little bit and was looking at a tree branch,” Bailey told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I heard one woman yelling for help, but the water was coming down so fast, I couldn’t see. … I’ve never seen nothing like this in my life. Lord have mercy.”

The area received 2.1 inches of rain in an hour during the evening rush, said Rihaan Gangat, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. But an earlier storm meant the region was drenched by 3 to 4 inches of rain overall on Friday.

The three victims, a woman and two children whose names were not released, were unable to escape their vehicle, which was completely submerged and pinned to a tree, Pittsburgh public safety director Michael Huss said at a news conference.

Rescuers floated over the car without knowing it was below.

“The bottom of the boat didn’t even scrape against the top of the car,” said Raymond DeMichiei, deputy director of the city Office of Emergency Management.

A fourth person, a 70-year-old woman, was missing and presumed dead, police Chief Nate Harper said.

Harper said 18 vehicles were stranded in the high water and 11 people were rescued. One of the rescued women required hospital treatment.

People were clinging to trees, poles and car roofs, KDKA-TV reported. One woman scrambled tried to scramble to the roof of her car but the water was moving so fast, she was dragged along in it, then grabbed on to a truck.

“You started to see – even a red dump truck floating,” Marion Marty of Sarver told the television station. “I mean, I never saw anything like it before in my life!”

The water had receded by Friday evening, but the mud-caked road will remain closed through Saturday as emergency crews work to clear all the stranded cars.

“Manhole covers started popping up and it looked like the road exploded and the waters came up really fast,” Tara Howes, 34, of Gibsonia told the Tribune-Review. “I saw people swimming on the sides of the road. It was pretty scary.”

The flash floods hit an area that experienced serious flooding last month. Rushing water from a July 18 storm stranded motorists and caused a section of road to buckle.

Claudia Gallagher, who was driving at the height of the rainfall Friday, said she tried to get off the road as the water rose.

“We tried to drive up onto the curb, but the water had other ideas,” Gallagher, 55, of West Mifflin, told the Post-Gazette.

Her car began to float, and she opened her window and climbed onto the roof. Many other drivers nearby were sitting atop their cars, too, she said.

Earlier Friday, another storm caused power outages that led the University of Pittsburgh to close for the day. Parts of Carlow and Carnegie Mellon universities also lost electricity.

Flights at Pittsburgh International Airport were grounded because of lightning just after 3 p.m., spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny said.

Two hospitals operated on emergency power after rains flooded a substation in the city’s Oakland neighborhood.

Comments (17)

  • mikee1
    Posted on August 21, 2011 at 12:21pm

    I know it is more GLOBAL WARMING. Or Nixon, Reagan or Bush did it.

    Report Post » mikee1  
  • Airdoc
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:14pm

    They found the body of the woman today. There are other videos of the water shooting out of the manholes (personholes?) probably 5-6 feet like geysers! This area really needs to be examined to determine why this happened again.

    Report Post »  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on August 21, 2011 at 2:35am

      They are having all this rain while we in Texas are living in Hell – I have been praying for cooler weather and rain but no help so far. Hottest summer ever!! and it is miserable. http://wp.me/pYLB7-1vV

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
  • Bumr50
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:48am

    I live right across the river from this road, and used to drive it every day along with my wife.

    What sickens me is that last month after strong storms flooding occurred on a significant but much smaller scale. This had never happened before to the degree that it did, and it stranded and flooded cars and motorists.

    There has been no paving or deforestation significant enough to have this impact.

    There is obviously something wrong with the drainage system going out to the river, because the road itself funnels down a hill directly towards it. The flooding occurred not a quarter mile from the Allegheny River.

    Someone should have investigated this between last month and now, IMHO.

    If it turns out to be clogged drainage, which in my unprofessional opinion seems to be the most likely explanation, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority needs to take responsibility because this could have been easily prevented.

    Report Post » Bumr50  
    • bospopp
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 11:21am

      I was thinking the same thing. Why does it always take someone (or a family) dying for things like this to get taken care of? It’s a shame….

      Report Post »  
    • marine43
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 11:32am

      Dude, there was significant flooding RIGHT at the end of Washington blvd as well right there at the light! That is what? maybe 100 yds from the river? Somethin is definately wrong at the “river end” of the drainage.My family and I where at waterworks mall and it was unreal! Even the parking lot was over my ankles on the flats. Prayers for the lost. Hope that they somehow find that poor woman alive.

      Report Post » marine43  
    • Calamity Jane
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 11:56am

      Not to worry friends…..Mayor Lukie will tackle the problem just as soon as he gets of of the Batman set!

      Seriously, when I saw this footage, I couldn’t believe that this was Washington Blvd. This fairly level stretch of road seems unlikely to flood, even though it is situated in the valley between Larimar and East Liberty. Witnesses say they saw the road buckle and “explode” in front of them when driving……My first thought was clogged storm sewers from the ever-present litter which “graces” the area…..I’ll stop there.

      Report Post »  
    • Shiroi Raion
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 12:34pm

      We had a flash flood that killed 7 people here a few years ago. The city still hasn’t built any new drainage grates on the corners and sides of the roads. I’ve called the city and the county a few times, but they just keep saying, “We know about the drainage problems.” Instead of doing something about it, they keep tearing up and re-tarring the roads that are in fine condition. What a waste of taxpayer money!

      Report Post » Shiroi Raion  
    • Wyatt's Torch
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:15pm

      One of the aerial shots on local news coverage shows manhole covers blown off and you can see evidence on the surrounding ground that water was pouring out of them.

      PS–hey Scott Baker why don‘t yinz over at da blaze show some local dantown coverage from yer old Picksburgh station enat insteada dis jag on da video ’bove?

      Report Post » Wyatt's Torch  
    • becker88
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:47pm

      Very sad for their family.

      http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos

      Report Post »  
  • highplainsguru
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:42am

    We need immediate government involvement. We need a redistribution of rain program. Those fat cats up north and along the mississippi river basin have been hoarding all the rain for themselves holding extravagant flood parties victemizing the have nots in Oklahoma and Texas. End the oppression, call congress back now, pass legislation to take rain away from those who don’t deserve it and give it the working families who do.

    Report Post »  
    • AzDebi
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 12:34pm

      Don’t need the “gobberment” involvement…just call H.A.A. R.P. they’ll get it done!

      Report Post » AzDebi  
  • bospopp
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:27am

    I drive through this intersection every day on my way to work. I felt sick when I heard the news…. Thoughts and prayers go out the the family…

    Report Post »  
  • inferno
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:19am

    Global arming fruit cake scientists can tell us what what will hapen 20 years into the furure, but are unable to predict in the morning what will happen in the afternoon .

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 9:24am

    God grant peace and mercy unto the family of the lady and her children lost, and may the one who is still missing be found alive after all.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 9:18am

    My prayers for those who mourn, this has been a weird summer or rain, it’s hard to believe you are not safe in your car on a normal seeming road. God bless the family, I am gratefull so many lived through it.

    Report Post »  

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