Flooding in Pittsburgh (Carnegie, Millvale, Etna: hotels, living, move to)

[peanut33]

I am getting ready to move to Pittsburgh in August and with all the flooding throughout the Midwest, I was wondering if Pittsburgh has many problems with flooding. Thanks for any input.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by peanut33

I am getting ready to move to Pittsburgh in August and with all the flooding throughout the Midwest, I was wondering if Pittsburgh has many problems with flooding. Thanks for any input.

Well, since Pittsburgh is not in the Midwest, I don't see where it should be a concern. Historically, Pittsburgh used to have frequent floods along it's many waterways, but this is much less of a problem since flood control was implemented half a century ago. Considering that Pittsburgh is in the Appalachian region, just make sure you find a place away from the valleys (not difficult), and you won't have any problems.

[Katiana]

I don't live there any more, but the last flood I remember hearing about from my family was in the fall of 2004, when Pitt was playing Nebraska at Heinz Field. My bro told me if the river rose 5 more feet, there would be water on the field. The Nebraskans helped the Pittsburghers sandbag downtown. Apparently water was coming in the hotels. I was also there one time in the late 90s in late December. There was a snowstorm, then rain the next day ,and there was flooding of some creeks and streams.

My daughter had a gymnastics meet the day of that football game; we took a TV to the meet to watch the game.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Search

[ExPit]

Stay off the low-ground, which in a city as hilly as Pittsburgh won't be difficult.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by ExPit

Stay off the low-ground, which in a city as hilly as Pittsburgh won't be difficult.

The worst flooding in recent times has almost always been hurricane related, where the remnants of some hurricane dumps a ton of rain in a short period.

[PeterRabbit]

The flooding during those bad times was mostly confined to the Etna and Millvale areas wasn't it?

[BrianTH]

Pittsburgh has a few flood plains (as others suggested, the usual suspects include the area around the confluence, Millvale, and Etna, plus also the Carnegie arewa). Flood control measures enacted after the St. Patrick's Day flood in 1936 have helped keep down the threat to the confluence in particular, but other areas have gotten worse (largely due to upstream development).

Anyway, it is pretty easy to avoid flooding just by living uphill. For example, I believe the elevation of the rivers at the confluence is about 710 feet, and the St. Patrick's Day flood added about 30 feet to that. But where I live (Pittsburgh's "East End") is pretty much all over 800 feet in elevation, so there is basically no chance of real flooding.