Clean up continues across southwestern Pennsylvania Thursday after heavy rains brought severe flooding and other damage to the area Wednesday.
Oakdale was one of the communities hardest hit.
The borough reported flooding and several road closures Wednesday. The fire and police stations were also evacuated after the building took on about a foot of water.
Oakdale Mayor Paul Hennemuth told News Radio KDKA Thursday they are temporary relocating Borough offices to the Community Center after about 18 inches of water entered the building.
"The floodwater in the middle of our triangle or square was up to the door knobs," said Borough Council President Mark Maximovich.
First responders in Oakdale are going door-to-door Thursday offering to help pump water out of local businesses and homes.
Maximovich said Oakdale is no stranger to flooding. The Borough saw similar issues in 2004, 2011 and 2013.
He said the Borough has asked the state for help with flood mitigation many times with little success. In particular, the Borough wants help cleaning out its confluence and dredging its creeks.
"I think it's shameful that they aren't or haven't done anything," Maximovich said. "I also think it's shameful that we had to do our own cleaning out of the confluence down there and get volunteers to do so when it's [the state's] responsibility to do so."
In a statement to News Radio KDKA, PennDOT said they surveyed Oakdale and found their infrastructure had no impact on flooding.
"Earlier this year, PennDOT conducted a field survey of the area in question which included two PennDOT owned arch structures, both channels, roadways and obstructions. PennDOT performed the survey to capture the current elevations of sediment at the two arch structures. A hydrologic and hydraulic analysis was performed utilizing the survey to determine if the current levels of sediment at the structures had an adverse effect on flooding. The analysis determined that the arch structures and levels of sediment at the time of the survey have no impact on water leaving the channel, which occurs approximately 1,000 feet upstream of First Street. The stream leaves the channel with or without the sediment at the structures. The stream does not have enough hydraulic capacity to stay within the channel during large rain events. An increased size of our structures will not prevent this flooding. This information was provided to Oakdale Borough on August 6, 2021."
Though significant clean up is needed in southwestern Pennsylvania, state officials say the southeastern portion of the state saw the brunt of the rain.
PEMA Director Randy Padfield said Thursday southeastern Pennsylvania saw a small amount of unconfirmed deaths, a number of injuries and the bulk of the thousands of water rescues that occurred across the state.
Padfield said crews are out across the state transitioning from response to recovery.
"This process has many pieces, but starts with meeting the immediate needs that individuals and families have for shelter, temporary housing, food and security."
State leaders ask anyone who experienced damage to call their local emergency services, call their insurance company and credit card company and take photos of the damage.
