Flooding closed the 10th Street Bypass in Downtown Pittsburgh this morning but authorities throughout the region reported little serious damage and no injuries from floodwaters that were far less severe than what had been forecast.

The rivers at the Point were expected to crest at 23 feet this morning and begin receding. The Mon Wharf is under about five feet of water and will remain flooded through Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The "bathtub" section of the Parkway East will not flood.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation advised motorists to use Fort Duquesne Boulevard to detour around the 10th Street Bypass until it reopens.

National Weather Service hydrologist Bill Drzal said he expects the crest Downtown to be reached before noon and waters to begin receding in the afternoon.

"This is much better than it could have been. We had a watch for a potential to go to 28 feet," he said.

The Youghiogheny River, which caused minor flooding in Connellsville, Sutersville and Confluence, was expected to recede this afternoon.

"I think we dodged a bullet," said Sutersville Councilman Jess Lester, standing on a bridge over the Youghiogheny River. "In '96 my house was like an island. This year it just came to the top of the river bank."

Saturday in Sutersville, firefighters helped the elderly to move furniture from low lying homes. Today they set up an emergency station at the fire hall to provide water and household supplies to any one who needed it.

At around 11:30 a.m., Richard George, a 50-year resident of West Newton, said he watched the river drop about in inch in 20 minutes.

"This ain't bad," he said. "Probably a lot of basements got water. I think we were lucky."

On Collinsburg Road in West Newton, Tony Berarducci stood on the porch of his Youghiogheny Canoe Outfitters, watching debris float past his building, which was surrounded by water. The basement of the kayak and canoe rental shop was flooded, he said.

"This may be a little worse than what we had in 2005," he said. "There's not much you can do, just move stuff out and hope for the best."

Westmoreland County officials reported that Lowber Road in Sewickley Township, some intersections on Routes 30 and 380 in Ligonier Township and the Route 56 bridge over the Conemaugh River were closed this morning by high water. There have been no injuries or serious damage.

Two homes in the River Road area flooded Saturday night in South Huntingdon and firefighters from local companies were going door-to-door to warn residents of the rising water, according to a Westmoreland County dispatch supervisor.

There was no evacuation order given as of Saturday night, though residents in one of the flooded structures had gone to a family member's house. Parts of River Road in Smithton and Jacobs Creek closed around 11 p.m. due to flooding.

Fayette and Washington county authorities also reported no serious damage or flood-related problems.

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