Pittsburgh Flooding: Heavy Rains Inundate SW PA Rivers, Roads

PITTSBURGH, PA — The Ohio River in downtown Pittsburgh crested at more than 28 feet early Thursday morning and flood warnings remained in effect after storms dropped multiple inches of rain on parts of southwestern Pennsylvania this week.

According to the National Weather Service, more than four inches of rain has been recorded at Philadelphia International Airport over the last three days, prompting rivers to swell and floodwaters to inundate roads, fields and other low-lying areas.

The Ohio River crested at 28.37 feet around 6 a.m., according to the NWS. By 10:30 a.m., it had fallen below 28 feet and was expected to reach 23 feet by the end of the day Thursday. Flood stage is 25 feet.

Flood warnings remained in effect Thursday for the following rivers in Pennsylvania:

• Ohio River at Pittsburgh affecting Allegheny County.
• Ohio River at Dashields affecting Allegheny County.
• Monongahela River at Braddock affecting Allegheny County.
• Monongahela River near Elizabeth affecting Allegheny, Washington
  and Westmoreland counties.
• Monongahela River near Charleroi affecting Fayette, Washington
  and Westmoreland Counties.

According to the latest NWS forecast, runoff from this week's heavy rainfall resulted in many locations reaching or exceeding flood stage Thursday. Forecasters said rivers are expected to fall within 24 to 36 hours.

Social media reports from across Pittsburgh showed numerous locations flooded including Point State Park, Three Rivers Trail and Acrisure Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Boat launch leading to steps at #Pittsburgh @steelers @AcrisureStadium is under several feet of water that flooded from the Ohio River," one person wrote on X.

Some roads were also closed due to the flooding. PennDOT shut down access to the 10th Street Bypass and the "Bathtub" section of the Parkway East after heavy rains inundated the area.

For the latest road conditions, follow @511PAStatewide or http://511pa.com.

The city also closed Allegheny Riverfront Park, North Shore Riverfront Park and the Mon Wharf bike connector, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. The city told the publication it was monitoring South Side Riverfront Park as the Mon River rose.

The Riverwalk along the North Shore of the Allegheny River was under several feet of waterThursday, CBS News reported. Floodwaters are not expected to recede before Friday's Pirates home opener.

In the coming days, the Pittsburgh area should expect cooler weather to continue. Showers — and snow showers at times — will persist into Friday as low pressure moves slowly across the upper Ohio Valley, according to an NWS forecast.

Dry weather and warmer conditions are expected to return later this weekend and into next week.

Here's a look at the forecast through this weekend:

Thursday Night: Showers likely before 2 a.m., then a chance of sprinkles between 2-3 a.m., then a chance of showers after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low of around 36. West wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain and snow showers likely before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation is expected.

Saturday: A slight chance of rain and snow showers before noon, then a slight chance of rain showers between noon and 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Northwest wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 58.