Fawn resident Paul Freshwater spent Thursday morning shoveling 2 inches of water from his garage off Metz Road.<\/p>\n
It was only the second time in 60 years that Freshwater remembers storm runoff causing an issue at his property.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt came down so fast and so hard that you couldn\u2019t see the road,\u201d he said. \u201cMy backyard was covered with water coming down from Hunting Hills (Estates).\u201d<\/p>\n
Strong storms pummeled the Alle-Kiski Valley late Wednesday, forcing road closures in Fawn, Brackenridge and Harrison.<\/p>\n
Dan Selfridge, chief at Fawn Volunteer Fire Department No. 1, said his crew was called out to divert traffic where water rose along portions of Bull Creek Road \u2014 but not because the creek overflowed its banks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat creek never came over,\u201d he said. \u201cThe drains were all clogged with debris. The water had nowhere to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bull Creek, a state-owned road, was closed temporarily from Metz Road to Bonway auto repair shop but reopened before 9 p.m.<\/p>\n
Melvin McNeal, who works for the township\u2019s public works department, spent Thursday morning clearing culverts along Metz Road with a backhoe. By 10 a.m., he had scooped enough bricks, stone and debris to fill the bed of a township truck.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s about the fourth time this year McNeal had to tend to Metz Road specifically.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s about 150 acres that drain down to this point, all the way from Ridge Road and around it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Liana Lupo, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said the area got about 1.25 inches of rain Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 1 inch of rain falling over 150 acres of land translates to about 4 million gallons of water.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt all comes down to this point,\u201d McNeal said. \u201cThere\u2019s nowhere for it to go. It\u2019s a constant fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freshwater said conditions were made worse because of an early afternoon shower. The rain that fell about 1:30 p.m. didn\u2019t have time to run off, he said.<\/p>\n
But, as fast and hard as the evening rain came down, it receded just as quickly, Freshwater said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was gone in about an hour,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n