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Storms Cause Flash Flooding, Other Damage Across Area

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Isolated but powerful storms hit the area with a one-two punch late Wednesday afternoon. In some places, it was the heavy rain that caused flooding; and in other locations, the problems were strong winds.

Powerful winds brought down part of an old tree on Watson Street in Coraopolis.

coraopolis-downed-tree
(Photo Credit: KDKA Photojournalist Bryce Lutz)

When the tree came down, it brought power lines with it, leaving a few homes in the neighborhood in the dark.

Another section of the tree, ironically, broke off two days ago, and punched a hole in the attic roof of Rachel Kenyon's home.

"Opened up the window, and you could see the sheets of rain, you could see the tree and the wind and everything. I was very worried. I ran to grab towels because there was water just coming in from Tuesday's incident when part of the tree fell on my roof," Kenyon said.

In O'Hara Township, heavy rain, not the wind caused problem. A low lying section of Freeport Road, near Blawnox, was flooded. Traffic was restricted to a single lane, which caused a major rush hour backup. Traffic was moving at a slow pace.

freeport-road-flooding
(Photo Credit: Ralph Iannotti/KDKA)

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Blawnox Assistant Fire Chief John Simmons said, "Every time there's a hard rain, this area closed. There's a manhole down there, but right now, it's clogged. Normally, we can go to the storm drain to clean it out. This time, it's clogged completely."

According to Asst. Chief Simmons, there's some finger-pointing going on about who's to blame.

"The state says it's a township problem, the township says it's a state problem," he said. "We're stuck in the middle."

Flood water also overwhelmed the drains in the Blazier Drive Park and Ride Lot in McCandless. One man tried to drive through it in his BMW, but got stuck when the vehicle stalled out in the deep water.

Peebles Volunteer firefighters went to him with a life vest and rope and walked him out of the flood water.

His car was later towed when the water receded.

KDKA's John Shumway Reports:

 

For riders coming to the lot on Port Authority buses, it was a bit disconcerting to find their cars surrounded by water.

"I just got off the bus," said Barb Schweiger, of Wexford. "I wondered why the bus had to go around the other way, and I thought, 'I hope my car's not in that.' I just came from Downtown, I didn't know there was any flooding up here there was nothing down there."

Stay with KDKA for the latest on the weather condition.

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