Valley braces for remnants of Hurricane Ida

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Hurricane Ida blasted ashore in Louisiana Sunday as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States.

And although the storm is currently classified as a tropical depression, local meteorologists and first responders are urging residents of the Mon Valley and Greater Pittsburgh area to brace themselves for the remnants.

Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm early Monday, and by a little after 4:30 p.m. the National Hurricane Center was referring to it as a tropical depression.

Ida made landfall as a Category 4 storm, and it hit on the same date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier. Ida came ashore about 45 miles west of where Category 3 Katrina first struck land, and its 150-mph winds tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland U.S.

The National Weather Service Pittsburgh said Monday that heavy rainfall associated with the remnants of Ida is expected across the Upper Ohio Valley Region tonight and Wednesday.

A map of anticipated rainfalls for Tuesday night and Wednesday as the storm passes overhead, which was tweeted by NWS Pittsburgh, shows areas within the Mon Valley can expect between 1.5 and 4 inches of rain.

NWS Pittsburgh said localized flooding will be possible in urban and low-lying areas where there is poor drainage. NWS said it’s possible the rivers will rise, causing flooding.

In a tweet Monday, NWS Pittsburgh said CalU Meteorology has issued a flash flood watch for Washington County from Tuesday evening until 2 a.m. Thursday. The tweet states that 2 to 4 inches of rain are expected as the remnants of Hurricane Ida push through. The Monongahela River is forecast to reach 33 feet or moderate flood stage at Charleroi, according to CalU Meteorology.

Smaller streams may flood — and there will be enough rain to warrant extra caution while driving, NWS Pittsburgh meteorologist Lee Hendricks said. He encourages people to be aware of the weather, particularly at night when it may be difficult to see exactly how much water might be on the roads.

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Tuesday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.