Flooding relief predicted this spring for Harmony, while businesses and residents stay prepared
Sandbags, pumps and watchful eyes on the water have become routine along Mercer Street in Harmony, where even moderate storms can push Connoquenessing Creek out of its banks and into a small cluster of businesses and homes that flood repeatedly.
This spring, however, forecasters say there may be some relief.
According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, conditions that often contribute to more severe flooding — such as melting snow and ice jams — are largely absent.
“Our snow is already gone and all of our river and creek ice is gone, so there will be no ice jamming,” said Colin Milcarek, a meteorologist with the agency.
Still, Milcarek cautioned heavy or repeated rainfall can quickly change conditions, meaning the same low-lying areas along the creek could see flooding again if storms line up this spring.
The last major flooding incident occurred in April 2024, when Harmony, which sits in the creek’s flood plain, was hit by two major storms in one week. The creek reached a moderate flood stage of 14 feet, flooding some homes and businesses.
Flooding along the creek affects multiple communities, including Harmony and parts of Zelienople and Jackson Township, but its impacts are most concentrated in Harmony, where much of the business district sits within the flood plain.
From the hills above the creek, the water can look calm — even beautiful — as it winds past backyards untouched by flooding.
Some longtime residents, living above the flood plain for decades, watch the rising water below without ever taking on damage themselves. But for those living and working on lower ground, the creek can quickly become a problem.
Vicki and Larry Ierardo have lived in a brick home at the corner of Monroe and Jackson streets in Harmony for 45 years, just a short distance from the creek and a nearby boat launch.
They and four neighboring families remain watchful during storms and prepare their properties to prevent rising water from reaching their basements. They ready sump pumps, temporary barriers and dozens of sandbags.
Over the years, floodwaters from Connoquenessing Creek have reached their property about 10 times, including twice within nine days in 2024.
The Ierardos have considered selling over the years but want to remain in the home they have lived in for 45 years. They said they have not heard of any mitigation programs that would directly affect their property.
“But how many more years can I move 90 sandbags?” Larry Ierardo said.
In response to severe flooding in recent years, municipalities throughout the Connoquenessing Creek watershed have worked together to study stormwater and invest in long-term mitigation efforts.
The collaboration — which includes Harmony, Zelienople, Evans City and Jackson Township, along with Butler County — has led to millions of dollars in funding for stormwater projects across the region aimed at reducing flood impacts.
“These investments won’t eliminate flooding entirely,” said Greg Such, president of Harmony Borough Council. “But they give communities better tools to manage it and reduce the impact when it happens.”
The construction underway in Harmony is part of a broader regional effort that includes more than a dozen projects designed to improve drainage and stormwater management.
The work also helped lead to the creation of the Southwest Butler Stormwater Authority, a regional group tasked with maintaining the system and supporting future improvements.
Mayor Cathy Rape said Harmony’s project is about halfway complete and expected to be finished by summer, though its impact on flooding remains uncertain.
“Some of the shops in Harmony are in a low spot along Mercer Street,” she said. “The project is designed to improve drainage through infrastructure upgrades, with the goal of reducing localized flooding in the business district.”
That’s welcome news for businesses along and near Mercer Street.
Addams Auto Cycle on German Street is among the businesses most vulnerable to flooding. Former owner Kent Addams, who sold the shop two years ago, helps the new owner prepare when water levels rise.
After 25 years and a handful of interior flooding events, he has become an expert at managing the problem, from digging indoor trenches to using sump pumps.
“The problem was that there wasn’t enough flow and water couldn’t properly drain to the creek,” he said. “With the new, larger pipes, water exits in a different way and we are prepared for flooding now.”
April Pitzer, who has owned Two Fraus Bakery on Mercer Street for two years, said she rarely thinks about flooding. She recalled the April 2024 storm, when water reached only the cement stoop outside her front door.
Inside, the bakery smells of cinnamon, chocolate and fresh dough as Pitzer greets customers and chats while ringing up purchases.
“Why worry about flooding?” she said. “It’s not worth stressing about.”
Just down the street, Union Brothers Brewing sits in one of the lowest-lying areas along the creek corridor, where water collects in a large basin next to the parking lot.
Heavy equipment and new piping mark ongoing work to install storm sewers designed to capture and drain floodwater that often pools around the property after heavy rain.
Owner Zachary Waltz, who has lived in the area his entire life, said he hopes the upgrades will help the area dry out more quickly after storms. He recalled the 2024 storms that forced him to close for two days after the parking lot flooded, but said he is encouraged by forecasts for a milder spring.
“I’m ready for another good year,” he said.
Rape said people love living and working in historic Harmony and rarely leave because of flooding.
“We know we are in a flood plain, and we deal with it,” she said.
