JOHNSTOWN — A combination of melting snow, rain and warmer temperatures caused swollen rivers and runoff from hillsides throughout the region Saturday.
A major trouble spot was in the Hollsopple area of Somerset County, where some residents were evacuated because of rising water in the Stonycreek River and its tributaries, said Joel Landis, a Somerset 911 supervisor.
The Route 403 bridge in Hollsopple was closed Saturday afternoon when rising river water began to run across the bridge’s roadway. Greenhouse Park along Route 403 in Tire Hill was under water, residents reported.
Residents of two personal care homes in Confluence in southern Somerset County were evacuated by firefighters and emergency personnel as a precautionary measure.
The facilities were identified as the Katie Miller Home, 137 Fairview Ave., and the Pam Miller Home, 212 Fireweed Road. Residents were taken to a school in the Turkeyfoot school district, it was reported. Further details were not available Saturday night.
Route 56 was a trouble spot at the Indiana-Westmoreland county line.
In southern Indiana County, a portion of Route 56 between Charles Road in East Wheatfield Township and the intersection of Routes 711 and 570 near Seward was closed.
Water from the Conemaugh River reached onto the roadway, Indiana 911 said.
Around 7 p.m., the Indiana 911 Center dispatched Armagh fire crews to rescue a person who reportedly was on top of a vehicle on a flooded road at Route 56 and Power Plant Road.
The 911 centers in Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties reported that they had reports of flooded basements in scattered locations.
At least 30 residences had flooded basements in Somerset County on Saturday, including some in Salisbury, Meyersdale, Confluence, Hollsopple and Windber.
In Cambria County, firefighters were assisting homeowners with flooded basements in several areas, including Salix, Portage and Cresson.
No evacuations were reported in Cambria or Bedford counties.
The rain, while heavy at times, did not appear to bring as much moisture into the area, with the storm keeping more to the eastern part of Pennsylvania, said Dave Houck, a meteorologist with AccuWeather in State College.
He said that the rainfall at Johnstown was three-quarters of an inch, slightly less than what was anticipated, he said.
Locations in Somerset County reported three-quarters of an inch to 1 inch, while Bedford County saw between 1 and 11⁄2 inches, he said.
The rain was expected to taper off late Saturday, although higher elevations in Cambria and Somerset counties may have a few showers, including spotty snow showers, overnight and into this morning, Houck reported.
The forecast for today is for some spotty rain showers, with temperatures reaching into the 40s, he said.
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