PITTSBURGH—Heavy rains in western Pennsylvania led to flash flooding, resulting in numerous rescues and evacuations in the area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service reported that parts of Allegheny County received nearly 3 inches of rain in a short amount of time on Thursday. Some southern areas of the county experienced over 4 inches of rainfall due to heavier bands within the storm system.
Rescue crews in Oakdale utilized watercraft to evacuate or rescue residents, while officials in Etna issued an emergency evacuation notice as Pine Creek overflowed at over 14 feet.
The weather service issued a flood warning for the Ohio River, predicting it to crest at over 25 feet in the Pittsburgh area, well above flood stage. The river rose rapidly from about 16.5 feet to nearly 22 feet on Friday morning due to heavy rains.
Parts of New England also faced flooding from additional rain on Friday, with strong winds expected throughout the region for most of the day.
Flood warnings were in effect in several towns along the Connecticut River in southern Hartford, where the river was expected to rise above 8 feet, a foot above flood stage. Boaters were advised to be cautious of swift river flows.
Related Stories
Meanwhile, residents in southeastern New York who lost power in severe storms on Thursday had most of their power restored by Friday afternoon. However, around 7,600 outages were still reported in Pennsylvania, and another 5,000 outages in Maine and New Hampshire, according to poweroutage.us.
The severe weather followed storms in the Southeast earlier in the week, leading to tornado warnings, flash flooding, and one reported death.
An EF-1 tornado hit Wilkesboro, North Carolina, on Thursday night, causing damage to trees and a house. The tornado had estimated peak winds of 105 to 110 mph, traveled approximately 2 miles, and was 300 yards wide. Fortunately, no deaths or injuries were reported.
