Wet weather continues to pummel Washington County
Relentless storms have put Southwestern Pennsylvania on pace for an especially wet September.
Following heavy rainfall on Sunday, meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh confirmed that Pittsburgh had recorded 4.33 inches of rain so far for the month, more than 2 inches above the 2.24-inch average rainfall amount through Sept. 20.
“Our September average is 3.3 inches of rain through the month, so we’ve already exceeded that by more than an inch if it weren’t to rain another drop in September,” said NWS meteorologist Liana Lupo.
Total precipitation for the year has climbed to nearly 38 inches, surpassing the average year-to-date pace by more than 8.5 inches, according to the NWS.
September’s rainfall comes on the heels of a historically wet August.
Pittsburgh saw totals reaching roughly 7.62 inches for the month, far above the normal August average of about 3.52 inches. That total falls behind only August 1987 with 7.86 inches, and August 1994 with 7.75 inches, according to the NWS.
“It’s certainly been a wet summer. Washington has gotten a lot of rain, and it’s taken a toll on the same areas,” said Lupo.
Washington County has been repeatedly battered, experiencing flash flooding that on Sunday forced local fire departments and water rescue teams to rescue people from half-submerged cars and led to temporary evacuations at the Washington Estates trailer park before water levels finally began to recede Sunday afternoon.
It marked the second major flooding disaster for the area this month alone, following an emergency declaration in the city of Washington after torrential storms on Sept. 12.
Much of Southwestern Pennsylvania was under a flood watch through noon Monday, with up to 3 inches of rain possible in some areas — including many that have been battered over the past week and weekend.
The watch area included Allegheny, Beaver, Greene, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, plus eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia. Most areas were expected to see 1 to 2 inches of rain, with some higher amounts that could cause creeks, streams and low-lying areas to flood.