Allegheny River might rise 4-6 feet

Boat owners and dock operators scrambled to secure their watercraft Tuesday as the National Weather Service warned that the Allegheny River was expected to rise 4 to 6 feet in 24 hours.

Despite the warning, however, the river's crests are expected to be below flood stage, the weather service said.

Marina owners were busy notifying owners of the boats at their docks Tuesday about the hazards of the rising waters.

"The debris' the danger," said Ethelynn Hodil, owner of Allegheny River Boat Club in Verona. About 60 boats are docked at the club, she said.

Hodil said it is up to the owners whether they want to remove their boats.

Hodil said trees and other debris in the water back up around the dock and boats. The debris puts pressure on the dock, pushing it under water and pushing boats farther from shore.

In 1996, the boat club twice lost its dock because of debris, she said.

Up and down the Allegheny, boat owners pulled their boats out of the water Tuesday.

Others double-tied their boats to the docks, especially the larger ones, to fend for themselves against the rising river current.

All were responding to warnings that the river was coming up "high and fast."

One man said he made a line in the mud near Manorville and in one minute the river had risen 6 inches past the line.

Roger Stitt, who lives across the river from Manorville, said he was up at 7:30 a.m. drinking coffee when he noticed from his window a small island in the river disappear.

"Where did that island go," he said.

Stitt could also see his pontoon boat docked in Manorville and decided to get it to the Rosston boat launch and out of the river for safekeeping.

"My boat was rocking back and forth doing a dance," Stitt said. "I thought I'd better get it out of there."

Stitt said he called the dam and was told the water level was at 12 feet. He said "thank you, I'm getting my boat."

Dave Ziegler steered the boat down river to Rosston where Stitt waited to get it up the ramp and onto a trailer. Ziegler did so during a heavy downpour.

"It was raining so hard it was stinging my face," Ziegler said. "I kept hitting debris."

At Coleman's Marina in Rosston, Jeff and Diane Brown of Salina were trying to get their 32-foot boat to dry dock.

The Brown's boat had broken loose and was damaged when high winds on Monday swept it and the small dock it was tied to into the shore. The boat was taking in water in the engine compartment and they were busy trying to pump it out.

Nearby, Gerald Shuster was tying his and some other boats securely to the marina dock.

"To see so many doing this in middle of the week is unreal," Shuster said.

At the Rosston take-out, Michelle and Doug Lukehart were helping neighbor Jack Lenavitt with his boat. Michelle Lukehart said Ford City police chief Jan Lysakowski called her for some help. After helping Lysakowski, the Lukeharts thought of Lenavitt. They planned to move up the river to help out two other friends, she said.

Randy Brozenick, director of Armstrong County's Emergency Management Agency, said late Tuesday afternoon that his agency has been in touch with the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh and he was being told the river would go to 18 feet. Flood stage is 21 feet, he said.

"There is a lot of debris on the river," Brozenick said. "Getting the boats out of the water is a good idea."

Brozenick said the high water could wash out docks.

"We're trying to keep an eye on the river," Brozenick said. "A storm just came through so I don't know if the Corps counted on that and more is coming.

"I haven't heard reports of any flooding yet. A lot of people have called concerned about flooding but no one had been flooded."

The high water on the river certainly didn't help fire companies who were attempting to rescue stranded boaters whose motor malfunctioned while on the river near Kelly Station at 2:44 p.m. Tuesday. Companies from Bethel Township, Ford City, Gilpin Township, Manor Township, West Kittanning and Kittanning helped in the rescue, according to Armstrong 911.

Contributing: Laura Mazur, contributing writer