Update: Flood Warning, Tornado Watch Issued for the Area

Toto, are we still in Cranberry?

After all the rain and wind from Sunday night into Monday morning, it sure seemed like a possibility that a few houses may get uprooted and carried away.

“It’s been very weird weather,” said Jerry Andree, Cranberry Township manager.

While Mark Nanna, assistant administrator at the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company, said the department has yet to receive a call for flooded basements or downed trees, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning and a tornado watch for the area.

The warning, which includes most of southwestern Pennsylvania and parts of east central Ohio, was in effect until 1:15 p.m. today. A flood watch is in effect until 7 p.m.

Andree expects Brush Creek and its tributaries to overflow at some point during the day. As of 9 a.m., he said the creek was nearing its flood plain.

It’s very close now,” he said.

When the creek overspills, Andree said, it mostly floods residents’ yards, particularly in the Fern Way area.

“Fortunately, there usually are very few instances of basements being flooded,” he said.

He said the township would continue to monitor the creek throughout the day.

Cranberry’s low-lying areas include Robinhood Drive, Sherwood Drive, the Clearbrook neighborhood, Rochester Road and other areas around Brush Creek. 

As of 11 a.m., the banks of Brush Creek in the wooded area of the Thorn Hill Industrial Park had overflowed. High water from the creek also rushed below the Rochester Road overpass, but had yet to overflow.

A drive down Robinhood Drive showed many yards saturated with water, including a few puddles with standing water.

In Zelienople, borough manager Don Pepe said there was minimal flooding from Connoquenessing Creek and its tributaries. The flooding, he said, is on a few streets in Jackson Township and on Front Street near the Zelienople-Harmony Sportsmens Club, which has a lake.

"There's an area near the private fishing club that's flooded over, but that’s not a through fare," Pepe said. "I think we’re going to be OK."

With reports from Renfrew, which is located north of the borough, saying that the water has crested in that area, Pepe expects the same for Zelienople later this afternoon.

"That's important because what happens there is what we'll get in about four hours," he said.

As of 1:30 p.m., he said, Zelienople's creeks were still below flood stage.

There also has been flooding on Route 910 in Pine Township.

PennDOT cautioned motorists not to drive on flooded roadways, where there is a chance of hydroplaning.

PennDOT also reminded drivers never to attempt to drive through a flooded area of roadway or across downed power lines and trees.

The weather service reminded motorists encountering flooded roads to make the smart choice: "Turn around. Don't drown."

"Most flood deaths occur in automobiles. Never drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. Flood water is usually deeper than (it) appears," the National Weather Service statement said. "Just one foot of flowing water is powerful enough to sweep vehicles off the road."

Keep checking back to Cranberry Patch for updates.  Also, please tell us what you are seeing out on area roads and we will post it on our site, Twitter and Facebook to let your neighbors know what is happening. Simply write comments in the box below. We also welcome photos.