HOUSTON, Pa. \u2014 One week after heavy rain flooded the Houston ballfields, water is still sitting near the dugout and third base, raising concerns about long-term damage and ongoing flooding issues tied to Chartiers Creek.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Heavy rain leaves park underwater in Washington County<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEvery time we get a heavy rain, it floods,\u201d said Jimmy Hollenbach, president of Chartiers-Houston Softball.<\/p>\n Last Thursday, nearly four feet of water turned the fields into what many described as a lake, almost two years to the date since the last major flooding event along the creek.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Chartiers-Houston Youth Softball League fields destroyed in flooding<\/a><\/p>\n Hollenbach said volunteers, including local coaches and athletes, stepped in to help with cleanup efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe put 40 yards of topsoil down and 30 yards of manure Thursday night by hand,\u201d one volunteer said.<\/p>\n But the concern now goes beyond cleanup.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Pittsburgh Pirates help save Chartiers-Houston Girls Softball season after flooding destroys fields<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just building up out there,\u201d Hollenbach said. \u201cThis is an issue we haven\u2019t had\u2026 we feel the outfield is sinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Chartiers Creek runs from Allegheny County through Washington County, and flooding has impacted communities along its path for generations.<\/p>\n In 2018, floodwaters damaged 127 homes and 48 businesses, and an Upper St. Clair woman died.<\/a><\/p>\n Now, there may be movement toward a long-term solution.<\/p>\n The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tells Channel 11 that a full feasibility study is required before any major flood control projects can begin. That process is now moving forward.<\/p>\n The Corps is partnering with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission to study the 277-square-mile watershed \u2014 an area engineers say has flooded for decades, putting communities at risk, threatening lives and property, and impacting an estimated 250,000 people.<\/p>\n For those who live and work near the creek, the hope is for a future where heavy rain doesn\u2019t automatically mean flooding.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time it floods, we ask for help \u2014 whether that\u2019s manual labor or donations,\u201d Hollenbach said. \u201cIf it keeps happening this often\u2026 donors are going to stop. Help is going to stop coming. People are going to start writing it off as a lost cause.\u201d<\/p>\n Volunteers are expected to return to the fields Friday to install a French drain. <\/p>\n A press conference announcing the feasibility study is expected later this month.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n