Monongahela police officer rescued from flooded road
Flood-related calls poured into Washington County 911 dispatchers Thursday morning, including a call to rescue a Monongahela police officer from a flooded road.
Firefighters were called to rescue the officer at 6:08 a.m. at the intersection of Courtney Hill and Patterson roads in Union Township. His name was not released. He climbed onto the roof of his submerged cruiser awaiting a rescue boat. He was not injured and rescued without any difficulties, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor.
The high number of calls began dwindling around 1 p.m. as the rain lessened to a drizzle. Emergency officials received about 20 to 30 flood-related calls in the Mon Valley, mainly for flooded basements and roads.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced road closures in Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette and Greene counties late Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a flood watch for its region until 4 p.m. Between 1/2 inch and 1 1/5 inches of rain fell in the area. The rain was expected to stop in the late afternoon or early evening Thursday.
Fayette County had only received three flood-related calls Thursday morning, all in the Belle Vernon area, according to a 911 supervisor.
PennDOT reminded drivers to never drive through standing water and be alert to changing road conditions.
PennDOT reported the following roads were closed at 11:30 a.m.:
Fayette County
SR 4046 (Rehoboth Church Road) between harmony Church Road in Washington Twp. and Happy Valley Road in Perry Twp.
Greene County
SR 1014 (7 Creeks Road / Castile Run Road) between Township Road 646 and Chartiers Road in Morgan Twp.
SR 18 North (Browns Creek Road) between Water Dam Rd to Pisgah Rd in Franklin Twp. Lane Restriction
SR 18 North between Webster Road and North Hill Road in Morris Twp.
Washington County
SR 18 between Trinity Drive in North Franklin and South Main Street in Washington
SR 40 – Both Directions – between Franklin Farms Road in North Franklin and Atlas Street in Canton Twp.
SR 40 East between Franklin Farms Road and Atlas Street in Canton Twp.
SR 221 between Chestnut Street and Pleasant Valley Road in Buffalo Twp.
SR 837 between Ridge Avenue and Poplar Street in Monongahela
SR 1065 (Courtney Hill Road) between Patterson Road and Main Street Extension in Union Twp.
SR 2019 (Almond Road) between Main Street in Ellsworth Borough and Wherry Road in Somerset Twp.
SR 2020 (Plumsock Road) between SR 201 (Conger Road) in Morris Twp. and Hackney Station Road in Amwell Twp.
SR 2023 (Bentleyville Road) between Hazelkirk Road and the intersection of Park Avenue and Taylor Dogdan Road in Carroll Twp.
Westmoreland – Road Closures
SR 1016 (Bairdstown Road) from the on ramp from Route 22 East to the Indiana County Line