Sympathy for Newcomers Driving Pittsburgh Terrain: Got Lost for First Time after Route 51 Flash Flood Yesterday (Allentown: houses, neighborhoods)

[Hopes]

Maybe I spend too much time driving around. I seem to get stuck in every flash flood. Hubby and I were driving South on Route 51 early yesterday afternoon. Hubby noticed that the creek was about to spill over the banks. There was a jersey barrier on my left. I kept driving with my eye on the creek. We got to an intersection. I contemplated taking a right and heading for high ground, but Hubby insisted that it was okay to stay on 51. Shortly after crossing that intersection, traffic came to a stop and we inched forward to discover the road was flooded in front of us with cars completely underwater.

We had front row seats, second car from the front. Some cars pulled over the median strip but mine would have bottomed out. I realized we were sitting directly on the bridge where the creek crossed under the street. I got out and looked over the edges of the bridge on both sides of the road. There was only 4" before the creek would flood the bridge too. Meanwhile, the water from the flooded road is creeping towards us. Then a big tractor trailor went through and caused a 4' wave. I thought the water would receed like the ocean, but the truck just moved water towards us to make room for new water ahead. So now we were sitting in 12" of water with the creek about to completely flood the bridge.

I talked with some men about making a ramp so cars could get over the median strip, but we couldn't find anything to make a ramp. We knocked on windows and inspired everyone to back up to the last intersection so we could turn around. Some senior citizens looked confused. Imagine a traffic jam driving backwards. Finally we're heading North on 51. The area we previously passed with the jersey barrier was flooded to the top of the barrier with water spilling over onto the inbound lane. We got to Bausman, feeling safe again, when I noticed that the creek was quickly flooding the Red White and Blue parking lot. Hubby insisted we could make it to the tubes. I didn't listen this time and headed up Bausman, planning to go over Mt. Washington. I know Mt. Washington fairly well, but somehow got lost because I didn't know the surrounding neighborhoods. Suddenly we were in a massively large depressed area with condemned houses and cars stripped on cinder blocks.

Take away everything Pittsburghers use to navigate Pittsburgh, things newcomers don't know how to use at first, and I quickly learned it's easy to get lost. I couldn't use the "go downhill to find a main road" because I knew 51 was flooded. I couldn't use the sun to see which direction we were heading because it was rainy and foggy. I tried to use "go up hill to get barings from a vantage point" but it's super hilly in Allentown, Beltzhoover and Mt. Oliver. Going up hill was taking us southeast instead of north towards the river. Hubby kept insisting that Grandview was in front of us. I kept insisting that Grandview was behind us. I have a good sense of direction. I stopped my car. I sat there. I looked at the sky all around us and announced that I was going with my gut instinct. I turned around and eventually found Grandview Park. If I didn't spend so much time on City Data looking at Pittsburgh maps, I wouldn't have known where Beltzhoover, Mt Oliver and Allentown were located. I wouldn't have known that Grandview Park existed to use as a bearing.

I have a newfound sympathy for newcomers driving Pittsburgh's topography. Being caught in a flash flood was scary but being utterly lost was even more unsettling. With decades of driving throughout the country, I've never been lost in my life but I got lost in my own city.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Maybe I spend too much time driving around. I seem to get stuck in every flash flood. Hubby and I were driving South on Route 51 early yesterday afternoon. Hubby noticed that the creek was about to spill over the banks. There was a jersey barrier on my left. I kept driving with my eye on the creek. We got to an intersection. I contemplated taking a right and heading for high ground, but Hubby insisted that it was okay to stay on 51. Shortly after crossing that intersection, traffic came to a stop and we inched forward to discover the road was flooded in front of us with cars completely underwater.

We had front row seats, second car from the front. Some cars pulled over the median strip but mine would have bottomed out. I realized we were sitting directly on the bridge where the creek crossed under the street. I got out and looked over the edges of the bridge on both sides of the road. There was only 4" before the creek would flood the bridge too. Meanwhile, the water from the flooded road is creeping towards us. Then a big tractor trailor went through and caused a 4' wave. I thought the water would receed like the ocean, but the truck just moved water towards us to make room for new water ahead. So now we were sitting in 12" of water with the creek about to completely flood the bridge.

I talked with some men about making a ramp so cars could get over the median strip, but we couldn't find anything to make a ramp. We knocked on windows and inspired everyone to back up to the last intersection so we could turn around. Some senior citizens looked confused. Imagine a traffic jam driving backwards. Finally we're heading North on 51. The area we previously passed with the jersey barrier was flooded to the top of the barrier with water spilling over onto the inbound lane. We got to Woodruff, feeling safe again, when I noticed that the creek was quickly flooding the Red White and Blue parking lot. Hubby insisted we could make it to the tubes. I didn't listen this time and headed up Woodruff, planning to go over Mt. Washington. I know Mt. Washington fairly well, but somehow got lost because I didn't know the surrounding neighborhoods. Suddenly we were in a massively large depressed area with condemned houses and cars stripped on cinder blocks.

Take away everything Pittsburgher's use to navigate Pittsburgh, things newcomers don't know how to use at first, and I quickly learned it's easy to get lost. I couldn't use the "go downhill to find a main road" because I knew 51 was flooded. I couldn't use the sun to see which direction we were heading because it was rainy and foggy. I tried to use "go up hill to get barings from a vantage point" but it's super hilly in Allentown, Beltzhoover and Mt. Oliver. Going up hill was taking us southwest instead of north towards the river. Hubby kept insisting that Grandview was in front of us. I kept insisting that Grandview was behind us. I have a good sense of direction. I stopped my car. I sat there. I looked at the sky all around us and announced that I was going with my gut instinct. I turned around and eventually found Grandview Park. If I didn't spend so much time on City Data looking at Pittsburgh maps, I wouldn't have known where Beltzhoover and Allentown were located. I wouldn't have known that Grandview Park existed to use as a bearing.

I have a newfound sympathy for newcomers driving Pittsburgh's topography. Being caught in a flash flood was scary but being utterly lost was even more unsettling. With decades of driving throughout the country, I've never been lost in my life but I got lost in my own city.

I was in that mess yesterday too. The problem is all of our roads (especially in the south hills) are so outdated that even a moderate rain can cause major headaches. Hopefully Penndot can upgrade 51 soon, there are far too many lights and not enough inlets to take in all that water Saw Mill Run valley receives in a storm.

[youngabe]

51 past the Tubes and down through 88, in my opinion, is at a toss with 28, per-construction, as being the worst, heavily traveled, out-dated road in Western Pennsylvania.

[okaydorothy]

We were going to the pirates game last night and our GPS was so smart ; it told us that traffic on the highway was backed up so we took the backroads to the tunnel.

Glad you are safe.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by youngabe

51 past the Tubes and down through 88, in my opinion, is at a toss with 28, per-construction, as being the worst, heavily traveled, out-dated road in Western Pennsylvania.

I drive on 28 fairly often and consider that worse than Rt. 51 for the most part.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by okaydorothy

We were going to the pirates game last night and our GPS was so smart ; it told us that traffic on the highway was backed up so we took the backroads to the tunnel.

Glad you are safe.

I don't GPS. I've never needed to have one! I'm just naturally gifted with a great sense of direction and can also visualize maps and instructions. In all my decades of living, I've never gotten lost until this time. LOL

You were heading into town during the aftermath traffic that lasted several hours. This happened in the early afternoon before traffic backed up. The road wasn't reopened until 5:30pm. We were literally among the very first cars in the line of the backup. No GPS would have prevented that. There's no warning for flash floods.

Be forwarned, back roads can flash flood too. Other regions have hurricanes, tornados. Pittsburgh has flash floods. It's not the rivers that flood but the little creeks and storm sewers flash flood. A road can flood at the top of a hill in this region.

Glad you had fun at the game! Enjoy the Pirates winning streak. It doesn't happen very often.

[greg42]

That's a rough one. I'm like you Hopes, I trust my sense of direction, and I've driven at least a little in all parts of the city and surrounding area so can always eventually find my way out. But in that scenario with the urgency of the water, I'm not sure I would have found my way any better. I'm not at all familiar with Bausman. I think I would have pushed to the tunnel myself (not very far), and probably on over it because 51 itself flies right over that spot now. Once at Boggs I would know where I was. The correct way with Bausman is left on Brownsville, left on Arlington, and just following that would take you over and down.

[ebyrnes]

Glad that you are okay, Hopes. Flash floods are quite terrifying due to their speed. I was caught in one in Philly (about one in the morning - I work second shift), and was fortunate to get out of the car in time. Sadly, a few months later a woman died in the same area in a flash flood.

As far as navigating, I think of Pittsburgh as a matter of getting from one hill to another. I get lost pretty frequently, but I enjoy that.

[Benzman66]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Suddenly we were in a massively large depressed area with condemned houses and cars stripped on cinder blocks.

Had to be Beltzhoover.

[Katarina Witt]

Glad you're safe, Hopes!