By ARLENE JOHNS and BERNIE HORNICK
JOHNSTOWN — Melting snow and the forecast for heavy rain today have emergency management officials in the area preparing for possible flooding.
The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for Somerset, Indiana, Westmoreland and Bedford counties, said Andy Mussoline, a meteorologist with AccuWeather, State College. Warnings are issued when flooding is imminent or occurring, he said.
Cambria County is under a flood watch through Saturday night but if the 2 to 3 inches of rain arrives on top of the one-third inch received Friday morning, that could change, he said.
The heaviest rain will fall this morning and into the afternoon, he said.
A few feet of snow remains in the higher elevations of Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties, he said. With the rainfall that is expected and the snowmelt, flooding is a threat, he said.
A state of emergency is in effect in Pittsburgh, where the Ohio River is expected to crest about 2 feet above flood stage on Sunday afternoon. Flood watches are in effect across the state.
“The key thing is that people be mindful of their surroundings,” said Brian Feist, executive director of the Cambria County’s emergency services department.
“Be very aware of changing conditions and take appropriate actions.”
Feist said rainfall will be heavier in the higher elevations, where a deep snowpack remains.
The runoff from those areas could result in quickly changing water levels downstream.
Feist said he was not able to pinpoint specific areas where there will be flooding problems, but said the emergency broadcast system will be activated if the need arises.
“We’ve made contact with the water rescue teams in the county in the event that we would have to employ their services,” he said.
The situation in Somerset County is much the same.
“The entire county is a thing of concern at this point,” Rick Lohr, Somerset County Emergency Management coordinator, said Friday afternoon.
While no problems had been reported, he said rivers are running a little higher than normal.
Lohr said rainfall was just 0.2 inch through midday Friday, though today was the day expected for heavy rains.
Lohr expects smaller bodies of water – such as the Casselman and Stonycreek rivers – to crest this afternoon and evening. Larger rivers, such as the Youghiogheny, might not crest until Sunday night or Monday, depending upon precipitation.
One spot of good news: The 50-degree weather of the past few days has served to melt the snow, and the water has seeped into the ground and not been a source of major runoff.
“What we’ve had this past week was very good to take the snowpack down – warm days and cool nights,” he said. That pattern allowed the snows to melt gradually and thereby prevent flooding.
And the ground has warmed, allowing more seepage into the ground. He advised motorists not to drive across flooded roads.
Residents whose homes are prone to flooding need to remove their valuables from the basement.
“More importantly, stay alert. If people need to evacuate, then they need to,” the emergency services boss said.
“People just need to be aware and cautious and listen to instruction,” he said.
Flooding conditions on Friday forced Penn- DOT to close one roadway in Somerset County and several in Bedford County.
In Somerset County, Route 281 in Confluence from Casselman to Logan streets was closed.
In Bedford County, a section of Route 869 in Lincoln Township was closed, along with
Route 2017, Main Road/Diehl Road, from the intersection of Route 326 in Colerain Township to Egolf Road in Snake Spring Township.
There were a few reports of flooded basements.
(Tribune-Democrat reporter Frank Sojak contributed to this story.)
