At 124 PM EDT on 17th, road flooding was reported 2 miles west of Pittsburgh. At 2 PM, Wexford flooded.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PBZ wrote it up.
At 124 PM EDT on 17th, road flooding was reported 2 miles west of Pittsburgh. At 2 PM, Wexford flooded. At 218 PM, roads flooded in Oakdale. By 315 PM, Springdale Boro flooded; and Wexford had 4.5" of rain. . By 450 PM on 17th, in Tarentum, Mill St and Davidson St were flooded; people evacuated. By 5 PM EDT on 17th, a state of emergency was declared in 62 of the 130 municipalities of Allegheny Co. South Park 6" of rain 530 PM EDT 17th. At 6 PM, evacuations in Tarentum. Widespread flooding stranded thousands. A total of 9494 homes, 1060 businesses, 4 schools, 9 fire depts, 50 public buildings damaged or destroyed. 140 boats broke away and ran away down several rivers. Some towns flooded, include: Bridgeville, Carnegie (by Chartiers Creek, starting 415 PM), Etna, Millvale, Sharpsburg, Shaler (by Little Pine Creek), South Fayette, Tarentum, West Deer. In Carnegie, 22 people were trapped on a bridge as flood waters rose and surrounded them. They tied themselves together and waited for rescue. These roads partly washed out: Oakdale Rd, Brocktown Rd, Boyds Run Rd, Dorrington Rd, Millers Run Rd, Noblestown Rd. Total rain: 6.6 inches Franklin Park, 6.4 Moon Twp. Pittsburgh International Airport set a new record for 1-day rainfall of 5.95 inches. This broke the old record (3.6") set during FRANCES on Sept 9. The Allegheny River flooded, from Freeport to Sharpsburg, from 11 PM EDT on 17th, until 5 AM EDT on 19th. Here are city, flood stage, crest, time: Freeport (flood stage 23 ft), 24.1 10 AM 18th; Natrona (21 ft), 24.2 11 AM 18th; Acmetonia (17), 19.8 1 PM 18th; Sharpsburg (21), 22.1 4 PM EDT 18th. The Ohio River flooded, from Pittsburgh to Dashields, from 10 PM on 17th, until 830 AM EDT on 19th. Pittsburgh (flood stage 25 ft), crested 31.0 at 4 PM EDT on 18th; Dashields (25 ft), crested 29.9 at 8 PM on 18th. On the Youghiogheny River, Sutersville rose above flood stage (20 ft) 1 PM on 18th, crested 20.7 at 430 PM, and fell below flood stage at 730 PM EDT on 18th. The remnants of Ivan made its closest approach to Pittsburgh at 7 PM EDT on the 17th. (IVAN)
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 17, 3:13 AM EST, 9 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
413 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
.AVIATION
HAVE GRADUALLY LOWERED CIGS/VSBYS THRU MID DAY AS TRANSITION FM --RA
VIA ISENTROPIC LIFT TRANSITIONS INTO HEAVIER RA. IFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED BY MIDDAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM (THROUGH FRIDAY)...
WILL MAINTAIN FLOOD WATCH THAT WE ALREADY HAVE OUT AS RAIN CONTINUES
TO MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTH. HPC LIKES GFS. DURING THE FIRST HALF OF
TODAY HEAVIEST RAIN BAND MOVES INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF CWA AND FROM
PIT NORTH. THEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF TODAY THE HEAVY RAIN BAND
SLOWLY SHIFTS EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL SECTIONS OF OUR CWA. FFA FOR
ENTIRE AREA LOOKS GOOD ATTM. THREE TO FIVE INCHES BY 12Z SATURDAY
LOOKS REASONABLE WITH THE HEAVIEST OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF CWA.
&&
.LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
FRIDAY NIGHT HEAVY RAIN AREA CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST AND BY 12Z
SATURDAY COVERS OUR SOUTHEAST ZONES. RAIN ENDS ON SATURDAY FROM
NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR SUNDAY WITH NEXT
CHC FOR RAIN NOT UNTIL MID WEEK ON RETURN SOUTHWEST FLOW.
&&
.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONE MDZ001 THROUGH SATURDAY.
OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069 THROUGH
SATURDAY.
PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES PAZ007>009-013>016-020-022-023-
029>032 THROUGH SATURDAY.
WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041 THROUGH
SATURDAY.
&&
AVIATION...15
SHORT TERM...02
LONG TERM...02HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 504 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-180903- ALLEGHENY PA-ARMSTRONG PA-BEAVER PA-BELMONT OH-BROOKE WV-BUTLER PA- CARROLL OH-CLARION PA-COLUMBIANA OH-COSHOCTON OH-FAYETTE PA- FOREST PA-GARRETT MD-GREENE PA-GUERNSEY OH-HANCOCK WV-HARRISON OH- INDIANA PA-JEFFERSON PA-JEFFERSON OH-LAWRENCE PA-MARION WV- MARSHALL WV-MERCER PA-MONONGALIA WV-MONROE OH-MUSKINGUM OH-NOBLE OH- OHIO WV-PRESTON WV-TUCKER WV-TUSCARAWAS OH-VENANGO PA-WASHINGTON PA- WESTMORELAND PA-WETZEL WV- 504 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR STREAMS AND CREEKS. A RIVER FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING. HEAVY RAIN WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH TODAY AND TONIGHT FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN. THE POTENTIAL FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN IN SOME LOCATIONS WILL CAUSE FLOODING. THE STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL BE THE FIRST TO RISE OVER THEIR BANKS FOLLOWED BY THE RIVERS. PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS WILL ALSO OCCUR WHERE RAINFALL IS ESPECIALLY HEAVY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR STREAMS AND CREEKS. A RIVER FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY. PLEASE REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE INCH AND EVERY HALF INCH THEREAFTER. ALSO REPORT ANY FLOODING OR HIGH WATER LEVELS ON STREAMS AND RIVERS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1217 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM FLOOD BRIDGEPORT 40.07N 80.75W
09/17/2004 BELMONT OH COUNTY EOC
ROAD FLOODING.
&&
AWIPSUSRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1234 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 PM FLOOD 3 N CALDWELL 39.79N 81.51W
09/17/2004 NOBLE OH SKYWARN SPOTTER
MAJOR ROAD FLOODING.
&&
AWIPSUSRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1235 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 PM FLOOD WOODSFIELD 39.76N 81.12W
09/17/2004 MONROE OH SKYWARN SPOTTER
ROAD FLOODING.
&&
AWIPSUSRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1257 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 PAZ020-021-029-WVZ001>003-171800- ALLEGHENY PA-BEAVER PA-BROOKE WV-HANCOCK WV-OHIO WV-WASHINGTON PA- 1257 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE... NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHOWS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE WHEELING WEST VIRGINIA AND WASHINGTON PENNSYLVANIA AREAS. THESE STORMS CAN HAVE WIND GUSTS OVER 40 MPH TO ADD TO THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING THERE IS ALREADY. THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE WEIRTON WEST VIRGINIA...BEAVER AND PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA AREAS BY ABOUT 2 PM. WHEN GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN...GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING FOR SHELTER.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
101 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1257 PM FLOOD WEIRTON 40.40N 80.56W
09/17/2004 HANCOCK WV COUNTY EOC
KINGS CREEK FLOODED.
&&
TRRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
116 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0115 PM FLOOD WASHINGTON 40.17N 80.25W
09/17/2004 WASHINGTON PA SKYWARN SPOTTER
ROAD FLOODING.
0115 PM FLASH FLOOD CANONSBURG 40.26N 80.19W
09/17/2004 WASHINGTON PA SKYWARN SPOTTER
ROAD FLOODING.
&&
TRRThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Allegheny | 2004-09-17 | 35 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, September 2004
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5422635.