Western Pennsylvanians looked to the skies and their basements amid warnings of potential flooding, but Allegheny County officials this afternoon were heartened by updated river forecasts of less-severe flooding than expected.

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh said flood warnings continued for a number of locations in the region, among them:

The Youghiogheny River at Sutersville, affecting Allegheny and Westmoreland counties; the Youghiogheny River at Connellsville, affecting Fayette County; the Conemaugh River at Sewart affecting Indiana and Westmoreland counties and the Cheat River at Rowlesburg affecting Preston County.

The projected Ohio river crest in Pittsburgh of 25.5 feet by 8 p.m. Sunday would likely be enough to shut the 10th Street Bypass and possibly the low-lying section of the Parkway Central known as the Bathtub, county emergency management officials said.

The Mon Wharf is already shut.

But Kevin Evanto, a spokesman for Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, said forecasters this afternoon cancelled all flood watches for the Ohio River downstream from Pittsburgh.

Emerging from a mid-afternoon briefing with forecasters, Mr. Evanto said officials were told that the most severe rainfall amounts from this weekend???s storm have stayed further south and east than expected.

"The term they were using is ???We dodged a bullet," Mr. Evanto said.

In Allegheny County, he said, "it looks like the Yough and the Mon are doing pretty well. They still are saying Elizabeth Township may go a little over flood stage," he said.

Already, one restaurant in the Little Boston area of Elizabeth Township has reported flooding. Areas in South Versailles also were experiencing some flooding problems, he said.

The National Weather Service late this morning updated its flood statement showing flood warnings continue in some locations, but crests are generally at or below earlier forecast levels because of smaller amounts of rain received and expected.

Among places with flood warnings:

The Youghiogheny River at Sutersville, where the stage as of 2 p.m. today was 16.9 feet, up from 16.5 feet at 11 a.m. Flood state is 20 feet, and the stage is expected to be near 21.4 feet by early afternoon Sunday and below flood stage by late evening Sunday.

The forecast calls for "moderate" flooding.

The National Weather Service also has an ongoing flood advisory for the Ohio River at Pittsburgh until Wednesday afternoon. At 1 p.m., the stage was 21.3 feet while flood stage is 25 feet. The river is expected to rise to near 25.5 feet Sunday evening. At the Point, Downtown, water already has reached the base of the wall of the fountain. The Mon Wharf is flooded and is expected to remain so until Tuesday.

Flood watches cancelled by the National Weather Service included:

-- Ohio River at Dashields, affecting Allegheny County

-- Ohio River at Montgomery, affecting Columbiana and Beaver and Hancock counties

-- Monongahela River at Grays Landing, affecting Fayette and Greene counties

-- Allegheny River at Natrona, affecting Allegheny and Westmoreland counties

-- Allegheny River at C.W. Bill Young Dam, affecting Allegheny County

Flood watches continue at the following:

-- Ohio River at Pittsburgh

-- Monongahela River at Point Marion, affecting Fayette County

-- Monongahela River near Charleroi, affecting Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties

-- Monongahela River near Elizabeth, affecting Allegheny, Washington and Westmoreland counties

-- Monongahela River at Braddock, affecting Allegheny County

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