Bridgeville, Millvale and Scott Township declared disaster emergencies Wednesday as the remnants of Hurricane Ida hit southwestern Pennsylvania, causing widespread flooding and road closures.
Allegheny County Chief of Emergency Services Matthew Brown said Wednesday afternoon some people were asked to evacuate from their homes and there were a few water rescues, but overall first responders were prepared.
"Our call volume was probably greater earlier yesterday evening than it was overnight into today," he said. "I'm hopeful and I'm pretty positive that's really because they've heeded the warnings. It's apparent to me that there were preparations made and people were making sure that they were keeping out of harm's way."
Though much of the rain subsided by late Wednesday afternoon, Brown said people in the area still need to pay close attention to changing conditions, especially those living near bodies of water.
"Our big focus moving forward is to caution everybody to watch the rise of these rivers, creeks and streams, particularly if you live near them" he said. "You really need to by paying attention to the updates. You may need to evacuate those areas as the rivers continue to rise."
Areas south of Pittsburgh were hit particularly hard early Wednesday morning.
Bridgeville was quick to declare a disaster emergency as roads flooded with several feet of water, including Baldwin St., McLaughlin Run Rd., and Carol St.
First responders, including water rescue, went door-to-door asking residents in the area to evacuate.
Bridgeville Asst. Fire Chief Mike Meglin was one of the first responders at the department's command center set up along Railroad St.
"We started evacuating Baldwin St. and those other ones, parts of those other streets telling people to get out," he said. "Water's coming up. We have a couple shelters in place already. They can go there or go with family and friends."
Not everyone decided to leave home as water levels continued to rise.
Longtime Bridgeville resident Lin St. Clair said his basement took on about six feet of water Wednesday, but he's seen it get much worse.
"This one's pretty small, by comparison," he said. "The three previous big ones all went four feet into the first floor, which would be eight or ten feet above street level."
Oakdale, Baldwin, Sewickley, Shaler and Ross Township were among those who also reported heavy flooding and road closures.
Allegheny County officials said additional towns are considering declaring a disaster emergency.
