UPDATE: 12:19 p.m.
PennDOT is reporting that of state routes closed in Allegheny County, Route 4057 (Locust Street/Roosevelt Road) is closed between Center Avenue in Emsworth Borough and Mt. Nebo Road in Ohio Township.
After heavy rain from storms Wednesday brought flash flooding across the Pittsburgh region, officials are advising that some roadways remain closed Thursday.
According to PennDOT, Route 4022 (Mt. Nebo Road) is closed between Route 4057 (Roosevelt Road) and Cheryl Drive in Ohio Township, and Route 3028 (Presto Sygan Road/Walkers Mill Road/Boyds Run Road) is closed between Thoms Run Road and Hilltop Road in Collier Township.
All weather warnings and watches for Allegheny County have expired, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a slight chance of showers for the Pittsburgh region before 11 a.m. Otherwise, Thursday is expected to be mostly cloudy with a high near 77.
Twelve municipalities declared a disaster emergency following Wednesday's storms:
- Castle Shannon Borough
- Elizabeth Borough
- Findlay Township
- Jefferson Hills Borough
- Lincoln Borough
- North Fayette Township
- Oakdale Borough
- Scott Township
- South Fayette Township
- Upper St. Clair Township
- West Elizabeth Borough
- Whitehall Borough
The Allegheny County Emergency Management Agency is expected to conduct preliminary damage assessments with the affected municipalities Thursday morning.
According to Allegheny County officials, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, the county 911 center handled 5,063 calls, twice the normal call volume to the center. Most of the calls were weather-related reports of downed wires and trees or flooding, according to the county. No life-threatening injuries were reported.
National Weather Service investigators are expected to visit Lawrence County, south of New Castle, where a funnel cloud was sighted and some witnesses say it touched down, damaging a barn and other buildings on a farm near Route 168.
As of 8:00 a.m. Thursday more than 30,000 customers were without power in southwestern Pennsylvania. Most of them are clustered in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Power companies say crews are working as quickly as possible but given the widespread scattering of the outages there is no estimate as to when services will be restored to everyone.
The Allegheny County Health Department reminds anyone who as experianced a power outage that food stored in refridgerators and freezers that exceeded 40 degrees should be discarded.
The Health Department is also offering cleanup tips for homes and businesses that may be contaminated by floodwaters.
- Clean and disinfect washable surfaces that have come in contact with floodwaters. Wash with soap and water; then disinfect with a mixture of household bleach and water – one and a quarter-cup of bleach per gallon of water if floodwaters come from sewers and a quarter-cup of bleach to a gallon of water if floodwaters aren’t tainted by sewage.
- Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleaner. Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and eye protection when disinfecting surfaces and try not to breathe bleach fumes.
- Discard upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedding and stuffed toys soaked in floodwaters.
- Soaked and soiled carpeting should also be discarded. If you try to salvage carpeting, dry it out and then shampoo it with a commercial rug cleaner.
- Clean, dry and check your furnace, water heater, washer, dryer and other appliances before using them. Don't handle electrical equipment in wet areas. Call a plumber or an electrician for professional service.
- To remove odors from refrigerators and freezers, use warm water with a detergent and wipe dry. If an odor persists, try a solution of one teaspoon of baking soda or one cup of household ammonia per gallon of water.
- Throw away foods that have come in contact with floodwaters.
- Make sure everyone involved in flood cleanup work has an up-to-date tetanus shot. Boosters are recommended every ten years.
