Residents along Saxonburg Road deal with flooding
Several residents along Thorn Creek, which runs beside Saxonburg Road in Jefferson Township, agreed their yards flooded more Friday, Aug. 7, than they had ever seen before.
“This is the fastest it’s ever happened,” said Chuck Beikert, who lives near the intersection of Saxonburg and Hannahstown roads. “There’s just no managing it.”
Beikert and his family watched from their porch Friday afternoon as water surrounded their home.
Four properties in the area were affected. However, Beikert’s was the only home surrounded by the creek.
He said he had about four feet of creek water in his basement. A pump runs constantly in his basement, but it wasn’t keeping up this time. Beikert said he usually has to replace a water heater every other year to due flooding.
A neighbor of Beikert’s said those in the neighborhood are used to the flooding and will often call each other to move their vehicles when they see the water start to rise.
Stan Mills, who lives down the street from Beikert on Saxonburg Road in the direction of Butler Township, said he’s lived in his home since 1967 and had never seen his backyard so flooded. He said the creek was low Thursday night. Then, he looked out Friday afternoon to see his backyard bridge underwater and the creek flowing through it.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said.
Mills said the creek has always flowed quickly and has natural springs throughout, but he believes it’s widened over time. He said he now has to put plastic around the door of his shed to keep water out.
Both Beikert and Mills agreed the water was also sticking around longer this time, compared to previous floods. Beikert said it usually only takes a couple hours to recede.
Living in the area for years, the neighbors affected by Thorn Creek spilling over its banks have accepted flooding comes with the territory. Beikert said he believes it would take hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix the issue.
“There’s not much you can do,” he said.
Nearby, Herman Road in Summit Township had to be closed Friday morning and afternoon when floodwaters covered it, including one incident that prompted the dispatch of Butler County Water Rescue Team 300.
Team 300 was dispatched around 11:15 a.m. for reports of a car in floodwaters, but they were canceled when the occupant was able to get out of their vehicle, according to Butler County Emergency Services dispatch recordings.
In Jefferson Township, emergency responders had two calls around 10:50 a.m. — one for a flooded basement with electrical issues in the 200 block of Rennick Road and another for flooding on Fisher Road.
Jefferson Township’s road crew handled the Fisher Road issue, according to dispatch recordings; while Saxonburg Volunteer Fire Company responded to a flooded basement. The flooded basement initially spurred a structure fire response. It was downgraded when no fire was found.
In Muddy Creek Township to the north, multiple emergency service departments were dispatched around 11:45 a.m. to Pilot at 2010 New Castle Road for flooding-related power surges. The power surges Friday were often dispatched as structure fires due to the electrical issues, spurring several fire companies to respond but then be canceled.
