A line of thunderstorms clogged roadway drains, downed trees and left standing water on roadways throughout the region Sunday.
The weather cleared for much of the day until about 6 p.m., when more storms blew through, bringing with them more rain, wind and hail that pelted Pittsburgh and its northern suburbs.
There were widespread reports of trees down, and nearly an inch of rain fell in 15 minutes in Marshall, National Weather service meteorologist Lee Hendricks said.
Based on the last 20 minutes, flooding on: Route 51 near Edgebrook, Becks Run at E Carson, Washington Blvd, possibly Glass Run
— Megan Guza (@meganguzaTrib) June 13, 2021
Saline Street in Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood was flooded, according to Tribune-Review reporter Joanne Klimovich Harrop.
Saline Street in the Run Greenfield … pic.twitter.com/l03mYkvkK5
— JoAnne Harrop (@joannescoop) June 13, 2021
Mayor Bill Peduto also mentioned the storm on Twitter.
Power is out in Pt. Breeze. Getting pelted with rain, hail & high winds.
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 13, 2021
By 7 p.m., “the worst of it” was over, he said.
Suns back out in Pt Breeze, but power remains out. What are you seeing from your front porch? pic.twitter.com/C1Xjyzq31G
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 13, 2021
Pittsburgh’s Forestry Division was ready to begin cleanup, and it advised people to report downed trees to 911.
As a thunderstorm moves through #Pittsburgh, our Forestry Division is ready to respond to downed trees or limbs.
— Pittsburgh Public Works (@PGHDPW) June 13, 2021
Please call 911 if you encounter a blocked roadway. Never touch or try to move downed wires. If a roadway is flooded, turn around. Never try to cross standing water. https://t.co/8UWiG2RvJx
Wishing everyone who visited us today a safe trip home. pic.twitter.com/0TSXEcTnf2
— Kennywood (@Kenny_Kangaroo) June 13, 2021
A car just ahead of me nearly floated away at the underpass linking #Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill exit to I-376 on-ramp.
— Natasha Lindstrom (@NewsNatasha) June 13, 2021
As I headed back & warned other drivers to turn around bc of flooding, some asked, “Well, how flooded is it? … Like, totally flooded?” #TurnAroundDontDrown https://t.co/geiXKwiRRK pic.twitter.com/uRCCngjRzJ
Mellon St and Wellesley Avenue. Oy. pic.twitter.com/0UCYXQVknI
— Sarah Boden (@Sarah_Boden) June 13, 2021
STORM UPDATE - Multiple calls within City of Pittsburgh; Washington Blvd closed due to flooding. Fire EMS & SWIFT water crews working multiple incidents at this time
— Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co) June 13, 2021
A cold front that moved into hot, muggy air that has been covering the area was to blame, Hendricks said.
A portion of Route 356 had to be closed Sunday morning near its intersection with Route 56 in Allegheny Township, after rising floodwaters caused several vehicles to become stranded.
No one was injured, according to a Westmoreland County 911 supervisor.
Emergency officials said a clogged drain forced a section of the road, roughly between the Route 56 intersection and Shearsburg Road, to be closed for more than an hour, reopening around 9:30 a.m.
Emergency crews also responded to the intersection of Routes 66 and 819 in Washington Township shortly before 8:30 a.m. for a report of road flooding. Additional storm-related damage including residential flooding in Avonmore and Lower Burrell, as well as a number of downed trees, was reported throughout the region.
— Duquesne Light (@DuquesneLight) June 14, 2021
The morning storm was a heavy straight-line storm front began moving through western Pennsylvania around 6 a.m., NWS Meterologist Jenna Lake said.
“What we had this morning is an outflow boundary of cold air that congregates in front of the storm cell,” Lake said. “That cold air intersects with the warm air downstream, and you can get some additional up-drafts. These storms had some of those up-drafts, but they don’t have the heavy winds that may be coming with the storms later today.”
