Path of destruction

Hurricane Ivan remembered 20 years later

Twenty years ago, on Sept. 17, 2004, the remnants of Hurricane Ivan passed through Washington County, dumping as much as 6 inches of rain in some parts and laying a path of destruction in its wake.

The hurricane that moved northward after pounding Florida stalled over Western Pennsylvania, sending creeks over its banks across Washington County, resulting in widespread flooding from Peters and Cecil townships to Canton, Chartiers and Smith townships, and Houston, Canonsburg, McDonald and Burgettstown boroughs.

Already saturated weeks prior by the remains of Hurricane Frances, the ground simply could not handle Ivan's onslaught.

When the rain ended, the cleanup began and the damage was assessed. All told, four businesses, 100 mobile homes, 25 single-family homes and one multifamily home had been destroyed in the county and hundreds more sustained serious damage.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency paid out $4.592 million in Washington County, the third highest amount in the state. Allegheny County topped the list with $19 million in claims.