TURTLE CREEK, Pa. -- A
slow-moving thunderstorm that flooded parts of the Pittsburgh region also trapped a Turtle Creek child and his parents on their front porch Wednesday night.
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Turtle Creek Families Caught In 8 Feet Of Water During Storm"I just said, 'I got to get to them somehow, someway,'" Joseph Onesi told WTAE Channel 4's Marcie Cipriani on Thursday.
Onesi said he was desperate to help as he watched flood waters rise around his son, daughter and 18-month-old grandson, who were locked out of his house on Church Street.
They couldn't come down into the rushing water, but they also couldn't go back inside the house.
"They were stuck on the porch," Onesi said. "They came out the door, locked it behind them and dropped the key," which ended up in the water.
"I left Stuver Street, swam -- or floated -- down Larimer, across the avenue, and ended up on the hood of this white Oldsmobile," Onesi said. "I was out of breath, tired. Couldn't swim no more. The current was so strong that I was trying to get to the corner of the fence to walk the fence to get a key to them so they could get to safety."
But Onesi couldn't make it -- and at that point, his family had been trapped for three hours. He was concerned for his grandson.
"He's only 18 months old. He's got a lot of life to live, and I didn't want him to be trapped out there, swept away in those waters, 50-60 mph waters. It was moving cars," Onesi said.
Finally, Onesi spotted a backhoe with two people, including a Turtle Creek police officer.
"They drove me up to the porch to retrieve my grandson and give them a key to get into the house to safety," Onesi said.
Around 80 people and 20 families had to evacuate because of the flooding, but there were no reports of any injuries, WTAE Channel 4's Ari Hait reported.
"There was cars going down, tree trunks, debris, garbage cans. It was terrible," said Deb Marto, who witnessed the flooding on Larimer Avenue.
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Mike Huss said city EMS crews responded to 229 calls -- a typical amount for a 24-hour span -- in just four hours Wednesday night.
Huss said there were 29 people trapped in cars -- with 14 of them needing to be rescued -- as well as 16 fire calls, two calls for collapses and calls for 50 downed trees.
"We were very fortunate last night that we didn't have anyone seriously hurt," Huss said. "This water carries a tremendous force that can trap motorists -- that can trap anybody who tries to walk through it -- because it has a lot of force behind it."
Leaders in Turtle Creek, Wilkinsburg and Forest Hills
declared a state of emergency in those communities following Wednesday night's storms. It carries little weight, but is the first step toward trying to secure government assistance funds.
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