Flood watches remain in effect in Washington, Greene

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A school van became trapped in flood water in Chartiers Township during Tuesday’s heavy rainstorms.

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A house in Chartiers Township was inundated with water after torrential rains caused Chartiers Creek to flood its banks.

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Chartiers Creek in Chartiers Township overflowed its banks after heavy rains passed through the region Tuesday.

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The Youghiogheny River in Connellsville rose throughout the day Tuesday. Minor flooding was expected overnight as the river passed 12 feet.

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A school van became trapped in flood water in Chartiers Township during Tuesday's heavy rainstorms.

Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

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A house in Chartiers Township was inundated with water after torrential rains caused Chartiers Creek to flood its banks.

Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

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Chartiers Creek in Chartiers Township overflowed its banks after heavy rains passed through the region Tuesday.

Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

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The Youghiogheny River in Connellsville rose throughout the day Tuesday. Minor flooding was expected overnight as the river passed 12 feet.

Courtesy of Greg Lincoln

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East Bethlehem Township firefighters rescue the driver of this van that became trapped in flood water on Barney’s Run Road Tuesday morning.

Ed Riedmann/For the Observer-Reporter

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Heavy rains passing through the region Tuesday flooded numerous roads, trapping occupants inside vehicles stranded in deep water.

Flood watches remain in effect in Southwestern Pennsylvania through Thursday morning, with as much as four inches of rain predicted to fall as a result of severe storms. A tornado watch for Washington, Greene, Allegheny and Beaver counties issued until 2 a.m. Thursday was canceled Wednesday night.

East Bethlehem Township firefighters and emergency responders were called early Tuesday morning after a vehicle was caught in high water on Barney’s Run Road.

In the afternoon, Chartiers Township police rescued a school bus van driver and a student after their vehicle became trapped in flood water on state Route 519 near Washington Area Career and Technology Center. A portion of the road was closed as crews from the state Department of Transportation worked to pull the van from the roadway.

Greene County Emergency Management and Department of Emergency Services reported several flooded roadways starting Monday night, and said a few motorists had become stranded after driving into standing water on roadways.

“Please use caution and watch for signs put out by PennDOT and township road crews warning of closed roads or high water,” the department cautioned on its Facebook page..

Jerry Coleman, director of safety for Washington County, urged motorists not to drive into flooded areas, and to get out of areas subject to flooding.

The department also posted several updates from the National Weather Service.

With another round of severe weather, Coleman cautioned Tuesday, “it’s not over yet.”

“I can’t stress it enough. I’d stress to folks to not drive into flood waters,” said Coleman.

“Compounded by what we had today, when those storms come through tonight (Tuesday), those waters could rise really fast,” he said. “It’s difficult for first responders to get to everybody.”

He said the storms that happen at night present additional complications, too.

East Beth VFC also advised people to stay informed during severe weather by monitoring local radar, news, weather radio, internet, or social media for updates.

Numerous roads in the region were closed, and in Fayette County, the Youghiogheny River in Connellsville was expected to crest at 14.3 feet by early Wednesday afternoon.

Minor flooding typically occurs after the river hits 12 feet, with moderate flooding at 16 feet.

“We’re looking for this to go above flood stage real late tonight, like 1 or 2 a.m. (Wednesday),” said Lee Hendricks, an NWS meteorologist in Pittsburgh. “People really need to be cautious while driving at night, especially near the river.”

Hendricks said a flooded roadway can have the appearance of a regular wet road.

The Monongahela River is expected to crest at 27.8 feet just after midnight Thursday. Flood stage is 28 feet, with “action stage” at 22.6 feet.

According to the NWS, between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain had fallen by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, with an additional 1 to 3 inches expected through the evening.

Heavy rain Tuesday night into Wednesday could result in more flooding, including small creeks and streams, highways, streets, underpasses, and low-lying areas, the NWS said.

The NWS in Pittsburgh took the rare step of issuing a Level 4 out of 5 (moderate) risk for much of Ohio, and a 3 out of 5 (enhanced) risk for West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania late Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The NWS said it is the first time since 2014 that it has issued a “moderate” severe weather risk, meaning the weather service is highly confident there will be several severe storms, and that those storms could cause significant wind gusts and tornadoes.

Several area school districts, including Bethlehem-Center, switched to virtual learning because of flooding on roads. Flooding also impacted McGuffey School District, which operated on a Flexible Instruction Day.

Severe weather was expected to move out before midnight Tuesday, with just rain expected on Wednesday.

Mark Hofmann contributed to this report.