Washington Mayor Jojo Burgess declared a state of emergency after a Saturday afternoon storm brought widespread flooding to Washington and forced a flash flood watch response across the area. The storm submerged roads, pushed water into Cameron Stadium, and left crews working through the city by evening.
Burgess said the declaration lasts five days and was driven by “due to the extraordinary rainfall and weather conditions.” He also said, “It hit so fast,” and added, “I’ve never seen it like that before. It was quick and fast.”
Camerson Stadium and Park Avenue
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued a flash flood warning for the central part of Washington County as thunderstorms descended about 2:30 p.m. Washington & Jefferson College’s football game at Cameron Stadium was suspended at halftime after water poured into the stadium and Catfish Creek overflowed its banks.
Fans and players left Cameron Stadium and walked back to their cars through knee-high water. Gerry Coleman of Washington County Public Safety said, “Any time there is a large crowd like that at any event, there’s always a concern when something like that happens,” and added, “I believe with the timing (during the lightning suspension attendance) was limited with the number of fans. Not that you wanted to walk through that water, but it wasn’t swift water. But you don’t want to see the fans go through that.”
Washington and South Strabane
Flooding also swallowed the Park Avenue area in Washington and made it impassable, while stormwater drains at Jefferson at Wylie avenues backed up so badly that water gushed from manholes onto the roads. One car was submerged up to its windows on Jefferson Avenue near Jollick Manor, and crews rescued the driver from the vehicle.
Most main roads reopened by 5 p.m. as water receded, but photos and videos showed heavy flooding in South Strabane around the Route 19 corridor and in many areas of North Strabane. South Strabane also declared a state of emergency on Saturday, and Coleman said the parking lot at the South Strabane Fire Department’s location on Oak Spring Road sustained “severe damage,” with a sinkhole opening behind the building.
The flooding was widespread enough to affect roads, a stadium, and emergency facilities, yet officials said there were no deaths or serious injuries. For residents and drivers, the immediate practical shift is simple: some roads reopened by evening, but the city is now operating under Burgess’s five-day emergency declaration while the damage picture continues to take shape.
