03/16/07 — With water rapidly turning their Race Street apartment building into an island, it didn’t take a lot of talking to convince Amber Sarcinella that voluntary evacuation was the way to go. “We’re staying with my brother-in-law,” she said Thursday afternoon after she, her husband and their two daughters had completed their temporary move due to flooding that has hit the area as a result of heavy rains and melting snow. “My 3-year-old daughter loves it — she gets to see her cousins to play.”

Earlier in the day — at 5:30 a.m., to be exact — Meadville Tribune carrier Arlen Perry got the scare of his life. Almost finished with his Hayfield Township route, Perry saw what he described as “a little divot-like thing on the road that stretched from side to side.” He slowed his sport utility vehicle to keep from hitting the divot too hard, but as soon as he touched it, “the bottom fell out,” he recalled.

Perry wasn’t hurt, but his can’t say the same for his Chevy Blazer, which ended up sitting in a big hole with a damaged frame and twisted axle.

The collapse of Lynn Road was definitely weather-related, according to Hayfield Township roadmaster Doug Knoedler. When the culvert passing under the gravel road was inundated by more water than it could handle, the roadway simply washed away, he explained. Fortunately, the pipe was fine, so it only took a simple repair and a little extra gravel to have the road open again almost immediately.

While predictions warned of the possibility of the worst flooding the area has seen since the remnants of Hurricane Francis passed through in September 2004, local officials remained optimistic throughout the day.



Preparing for the worst

Early Thursday morning, personnel from the City of Meadville, Crawford County Department of Emergency Services, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, surrounding municipalities and Crawford Central School District were working together to develop plans to minimize the impact of any flooding.

By mid-afternoon, the American Red Cross had established an emergency shelter at St. Agatha’s Church in Meadville for any residents who needed to evacuate. When the Red Cross opened its shelter, Crawford County Humane Society also opened its doors to temporarily-displaced domestic animals for the next 24 hours.

Plans were put into place to re-direct traffic attempting to enter the city around flooded areas. Message signs, for example, were being installed on Route 322 in Cochranton directing Interstate 79-bound traffic onto Route 173. Message signs were also being erected on I-79 at the Saegertown exit directing Meadville-bound drivers to enter from that direction. The bus company transporting students to Second District Elementary School on flood-prone lower South Main Street today was notified of an alternative approach if neighboring streets are impassible. “Hopefully it won’t be necessary to re-route traffic,” Meadville City Manager Joe Chriest said during a mid-afternoon press conference. “If the crest is only 15.5 feet, we should be in good shape.”



How deep will it go?

The official flood stage for French Creek at the Mercer Street bridge starts at 14 feet; moderate flood stage starts at 16 feet and major flood stage starts at 17 feet.

At 11 a.m. Thursday, the water level was at 14.6 feet and climbing. In a flood warning scheduled to remain in effect until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service predicted a crest of 16.3 feet around midnight.

By evening, however, the outlook had shifted in a positive direction. By 9 p.m., the water level was recorded at 15.0 inches. However, the midnight crest prediction been revised downward to approximately 15.5 feet and the flood warning was scheduled to remain in effect only until Saturday morning.

Once the water level reaches any flood stage, area residents begin to feel the results.

According to the National Weather Service, beginning at 14 feet, flooding begins along Cussewago Creek near Race Street and residents in Asbury Manor West Mobile Home Park and Ellsworth Park along Cussewago Creek are beginning to be affected.

Beginning at 15 feet, floodwaters are expected to reach Columbia Avenue, Race Street and Rogers Ferry Road and residents of Asbury Manor East and West mobile home parks are definitely feeling the impact. Meadville’s Bicentennial Park near Mead Avenue is flooded and traffic on Park Avenue near U.S. Route 322 is being affected.

At the 16-foot level, western Meadville is experiencing significant flooding, according to National Weather Service.

Chriest traces the current flooding to a combination of factors. Specifically, a warm spell earlier in the week that melted the remaining snow pack in upstream portions of the French Creek watershed combined with Wednesday’s and Thursday’s rain brought the waterway above flood stage.



Road Closings

High water has caused a number of road closings or lane restrictions in Crawford County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Because of the flooding the roads aren’t forecast to reopen fully until noon Monday.

Below is a list of roads that were completely closed as of Thursday evening:

–– Wilson Chute Road in Union Township from Mercer Pike to Route 322;

–– Miller Station Road/Brown Hill Road from Route 19 in Cambridge Township to Wilkie Road in Rockdale Township;

–– McClellan Street from Old Plank Road in Venango Township to Grant Street/Kearney Avenue in Cambridge Springs;

–– Mystic Park Road from Rosenberg Road in Troy Township to Dutch Street in Steuben Township;

–– Main Street from Second Street in Greenwood Township to Johnson Road in Union Township;

–– Spring Street from Route 102 in Vernon Township to Lincoln Avenue in the city of Meadville;

–– Center Street one lane restricted from Wood Road to Route 19 in Greenwood Township;

–– Route 19 in Greenwood Township one lane restricted from the truck stop at Route 285 to Rung Road/Lilly Road in Union Township;

–– Sparta Street/Britton Run Road from Garland Street in Centerville to White Road in Rome Township;

–– Townhall Lane from Route 285/Townhouse Corners in Fairfield Township to Creveling Road/Route 322 in East Fairfield Township;

–– Johnstown Road from Route 408 to Brown Hill Road in Rockdale Township;

–– and the lower portion of Dutch Hill Road in Union Township.



Historical Crests

17.60 feet Jan. 1, 1959

17.05 feet April 1, 1947

16.36 feet Sept. 10, 2004

15.52 feet Jan. 20, 1996

15.10 feet Dec. 31, 1990

15.04 feet Jan. 9, 1998

13.55 feet Jan. 5, 1990

13.30 feet Jan. 1, 1993

13.27 feet May 14, 2002

13.06 feet Feb. 17, 1993



Low Water Record

0.4 foot June 28, 1991