Flood concerns rise in Fayette County
CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — Heavy rain has people in Fayette County keeping an eye on backyard creeks and streets that flood on a regular basis.
In Uniontown, the raging waters of Red Stone Creek crept ever so close to its banks on Tuesday. Dave Carney's automotive shop is just a few feet away.
"On the other side of the creek wall, I have a paint marker system to where I have 1 through 5, like DEFCON 5,4,3. And we were at DEFCON 2 this morning. And we were almost at DEFCON 1."
Carney's concern is well warranted based on years past.
"I've been here since 1999," he said. "I've been flooded five times."
Carney's business is caught in a one-two punch of the creek and Iowa Street, which looks more like a lake when it rains due to backed-up storm drains.
"We came real close this morning and it's still threatening," Carney said.
The constant threat of flooding prompted Carney to invest in a flood barrier system. Carney said he has put at least $150,000 into the flood barriers. Given how the street and creek flood, every cent of it is a good investment, Carney said.
"This helps me keep the business in check, and quite honestly one flood pays for this system," he said.
Carney says the problem is backed-up sewers, creeks filled with debris, and streams despite the state clearing them out after the last major flooding in 2017.
