The flash flooding that killed four people and forced others to swim to safety or climb onto car roofs was a freak accident caused by heavy rainfall that overwhelmed the sewer system just as rush-hour traffic clogged low-lying city streets, officials said Saturday.
A mother and her two daughters died in Friday's flood after becoming trapped in their vehicle and rising water pinned it to a tree. Another woman's body was washed into the Allegheny River, where she was found Saturday morning.
Back-to-back storms pounded the city with 3 to 4 inches of rain. The water drained rapidly onto Washington Boulevard, a main street near the Allegheny River on the city's east side, with a force too great for a pair of sewer pipes 9 feet in diameter. The torrent blew off 60-pound manhole covers,
"We had geysers here," said Raymond DeMichiei, deputy director of the city Office of Emergency Management. more
0 comments (read or post your own):
Post a Comment
WANT YOUR COMMENT TO APPEAR?
Please, do not engage in any commercial or promotional activity. This includes linking to businesses, book sales, political or religious groups, etc. We welcome links that expound the discussion and investigation.