Flood Mystery Suggestion.

Posted By Cliff Tuttle | August 21, 2011

No. 690

The flash flood on Washington Boulevard in Pittsburgh and the death of four people made the national news all weekend.  There was high water on many other streets in the City of Pittsburgh, although not with the deadly effect that the canyon that contains Washington Boulevard had.

Officials from the City and ALCOSAN were quoted as saying that the exact cause of the inability of the storm water sewers to handle the storm waters was a mystery, since the pipes were free of blockage.

While I do not have personal knowledge of the situation on Washington Boulevard, I have been aware that flooding has been caused in the past in the City by the failure of road crews to clear away piles of leaves and debris that accumulate near storm inlets as a result of earlier rainstorms.  These debris piles create diversions of storm water onto roads and into basements.  Of course, in a storm as fierce as the one last Friday, the dams could have been swept away, but not until after diverting a great quantity of water onto the road.

CLT

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

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