Flood Warning Issued for Venango County, PA Due to Ice Jam Release

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh PA has issued a Flood Warning for northeastern Venango County in northwestern Pennsylvania. This alert is in effect following reports of an ice jam release that is causing immediate flooding concerns.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically covers northeastern Venango County. Locations expected to experience flooding include:

• Oil City
• Rouseville
• Seneca Street and other low-lying areas

What You Should Do

Residents and travelers in the affected area are advised to take the following precautions:

• Turn around, don’t drown: Never attempt to drive through flooded roads. Most flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.
• Exercise night caution: Be especially careful at night when it is significantly harder to recognize the dangers of flooding.
• Avoid flood zones: Stay away from rivers, creeks, and streams where water levels may rise rapidly.

Expected Conditions

Emergency management reported an ice jam release near Rouseville that is reaching the ice jam at Oil City. This is resulting in the flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other flood-prone locations. Depending on ice behavior, any further release of the ice jam could result in sudden rises of water, leading to a rapid and dangerous flooding situation.

Timeline

• Issued: February 19 at 6:31 PM EST
• Effective Window: Immediate
• Expiration: The warning is scheduled to end at 12:30 AM EST on Friday, February 20.