Apr 12, 2024: 26 barges broke loose on Ohio River in Pittsburgh, PA

No one was injured, major infrastructure damaged nor hazardous materials involved. However, some marinas and docks along the river were destroyed.

Nine barges allided with the Emsworth L&D and six passed through. Some bridges were hit, but reopened after a few hours.

USACE, Pittsburgh District posted nine photos with the comment:

According to the Pittsburgh Fire and Police Department, at approximately 11:25 p.m. April 12, 26 barges broke loose on the upper Ohio River.

Eleven barges are secured by tugboat at Brunot Island. Nine barges came to rest at Emsworth Locks and Dam, with one being removed in the early hours of Saturday

morning April 13.

Four barges passed through Emsworth Lock and Dam and went over Dashields Locks and Dams in Moon Township, Allegheny County and have been retrieved and secured by tugboat. There is one unaccounted for barge.

The U.S. Coast Guard has overall lead for the response. The Army Corps of Engineers is inspecting our facilities for damage and are ensuring the safety of our employees and barge crews.

The navigation channel will reopen as soon as it can be done safely. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters

Melvin Lowe: Towboat not tugboat...there is a difference.

George Brkovich: It was bound to happen and to happen again. Oh yes let’s blame Mother Nature on this again and again. Thank God no one was hurt or loss a life, but the livelihood of Peggy’s Marina suffered damages. As a Coast Guardsmen and Army Corps Waterways inspector, I participated in many barge breakaway meetings. Before retiring I participated in one final meeting with Coast Guard, Industry leaders and ARMY Corps to discuss how prevent barge breakaways with better policing of fleeting areas. Well a lot of good discussion but nothing developed. For the most part the River Industry are responsible and hard working individuals and companies. But when it comes to Policing the fleets this needs to be revisited and acted on.

Mike Dumbaugh: Yeah, I seen that early this morning. They had to close Bruno Island rail Bridge, West End, Bridge in McKees Rockbridge.

Pickwick Lock shared with the comment: "In case anyone wonders how dangerous it is to work on or around the river, not to mention the dangers to our infrastructure. This is up on the Upper Ohio River, at Pittsburgh, PA. Towboats and crews will be needed to pull these barges off the infrastructure and back to safety. It is extremely dangerous work anytime, but is extra so in the high water."

Ron Bishop shared

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[The barges under a gate would be the higher priority because if they don't get them out before the flood waters go down, they would lose the pool. Not only would navigation be lost, but loading and unloading barges would not be possible.]

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Justin Thomas Jones commented on the USACE post
Barge Salvage? No problem give me a 📞

The Ohio River is flooded. I've seen a photo were all of the concrete at the Point was under water.

1 of 9 photos posted by the USCAE

safe_image for After breaking free on Friday night on the Ohio River, 26 barges now accounted for
"A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard said 26 barges broke away from a vessel at mile marker one." [So a tow broke apart rather than mooring lines being broke by rising waters. Normally, it is a fleet of barges, not a tow, that breaks free.
(Update: having slept on it, the max size of a tow on the Ohio is typically 15 barges, so I think the barges broke free from a mooring instead of a vessel. So the USACE was wrong about tugboat vs. towboat and vessel vs. mooring, which are rather common and simple waterway navigation terms. If the USACE is this sloppy with English, what else are they sloppy with?)
(Another update: The Chicago Tribune had an article on this incident. The first sentence was: "More than two dozen barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said." At least that USACE source properly used moorings instead of vessel.)]

KDKA

KDKA

USACE, Pittsburgh District posted four photos with the comment: "UPDATE: There are currently seven barges that came to rest at Emsworth Locks and Dam. Earlier this afternoon, an empty barge sank and another broke away due to river conditions. This situation is still developing. We will continue to update. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters"

Darlene Reimond: I hope they didn't hit any of our bridges!

Lynn Tiwari: Darlene Reimond it was reported that the barges did wipe out a bunch of boat slips and at least one dock at Peggy’s Harbor, and about 90 boat slips downriver from there at the Branchport Boat Club. The Sewickley Bridge was hit and shut down earlier today but has since reopened.

Michael Camella: Darlene Reimond unlikely to cause significant damage.

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[The barge must be hung up on the Dashields Dam, which is a fixed weir dam.]

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Jackie Baker: Is that thing in the middle a barge that flipped?

Ryan Davila: Jackie Baker yes

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James J Rogers commented on Photo #1

Dennis DeBruler: I've never before seen that many hydraulic jumps downstream of a fixed weir dam.

Shane Dixon posted five photos with the comment: "Loose barges & high water @ Emsworth & Dashields."

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Apr 16: USACE, Pittsburgh District posted five photos with the comment: "Update: Campbell Transportation Company Inc., is currently in the process of removing five of the seven barges that came to rest on Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River at approximately 11:30 p.m. April 12. The recovery operation started at approximately 9:30 a.m., April 16, and is expected to continue until early afternoon. The operation is moving safely, and is being coordinated with the U.S Coast Guard and Pittsburgh District."

Bill McBride: Does Campbell pay to dock their barges in river across from Point Park.

JT Hardisty: Bill McBride Campbells owns the Pittsburgh landing across from the point.

[Campbell probably need to install floating bollards at their mooring site. 

Did they wait four days for the river to go down? Are the two remaining barges the ones that are stuck under the gates? They are the big problem.]

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[That's interesting that they use a small towboat to get the rescue towboat into position.]

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Marsha Zinnikas: Dangerous!

Justin Young: For sure once the hatches go under good luck