FRANKLIN, Pa. — A Flood Watch continues for Allegheny River, affecting Venango County and surrounding areas.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh issued the following statement at 11:22 a.m. on Tuesday, January 14, 2014:

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1122 AM EST TUE JAN 14 2014

…THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN PENNSYLVANIA…

ALLEGHENY RIVER AT WEST HICKORY AFFECTING FOREST COUNTY
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT FRANKLIN AFFECTING VENANGO COUNTY
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT PARKER AFFECTING ARMSTRONG AND CLARION COUNTIES
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT RIMER AFFECTING ARMSTRONG AND CLARION COUNTIES
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT MOSGROVE AFFECTING ARMSTRONG COUNTY
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT KITTANNING AFFECTING ARMSTRONG COUNTY
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT CLINTON AFFECTING ARMSTRONG COUNTY
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT FREEPORT AFFECTING ALLEGHENY…ARMSTRONG AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT NATRONA AFFECTING ALLEGHENY AND WESTMORELAND COUNTIES
ALLEGHENY RIVER AT CW BILL YOUNG DAM AFFECTING ALLEGHENY COUNTY

. ICE ON THE ALLEGHENY RIVER IS MOVING SLOWLY KEEPING THE THREAT OF ICE JAMS ALONG THE ALLEGHENY RIVER. CURRENTLY THERE ARE AT LEAST 5 ICE JAMS ON THE ALLEGHENY RIVER…BUT ALL ARE STABLE AT THIS TIME AND ARE ALLOWING WATER TO FLOW. THESE ICE JAMS ARE NOT CURRENTLY A DANGER…BUT ARE UNPREDICTABLE AND COULD MOVE AT ANY TIME. THE SITUATION ON MANY STREAMS AND CREEKS IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.

TEMPERATURES OVER THE PAST 72 HOURS HAVE GENERALLY REMAINED ABOVE FREEZING ACROSS THE REGION HELPING TO ERODE SOME OF THE ICE ON
OUR RIVERS. THE ANTICIPATED RAINFALL OF UP TO 0.50 INCHES WILL FURTHER AID IN MELTING OF ICE.

THE ICE HAS BEEN MOVING SLOWLY FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS…THIS BRINGS A HEIGHTENED RISK FOR ICE JAM FORMATION ALONG THE ALLEGHENY RIVER FROM AROUND THE PARKER AREA SOUTHWARD TO AROUND LOCK 3 C.W. BILL YOUNG NEAR ACMETONIA.

ICE JAMS CAN AND DO FORM VERY QUICKLY. ICE JAMS CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BACKWATER RISES AND POSSIBLY FLOODING IN A SHORT SPAN OF TIME BEHIND THE ICE JAM. ALSO…ONCE AN ICE JAM BREAKS…THE SURGE OF WATER MOVING DOWNSTREAM COULD BE SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SAFETY MESSAGE…A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT A CERTAINTY. PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING OCCUR OR A RIVER FLOOD WARNING BE ISSUED.

REPORT ICE JAMS OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING 412-262-1988…POSTING TO THE NWS PITTSBURGH FACEBOOK PAGE…OR USING TWITTER @NWSPITTSBURGH.

1255 PM EST MON JAN 13 2014

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE ALLEGHENY RIVER AT FRANKLIN
* UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
* AT 10:00 AM TUESDAY THE STAGE WAS 9.2 FEET.
* ICE JAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.
* FLOOD STAGE IS 17.0 FEET.

Photo by Matt Vereb.