Times Observer file photo According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir prevented nearly $50 million in flood damage during 2018, making the total damage prevented since its construction in the 1960s at $1,330,541,000.

Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir prevented nearly $50 million in flood damage during the 2018 federal fiscal year.

The Pittsburgh District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reported that the district’s 16 flood risk management reservoirs prevented an estimated $1.1 billion between October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018.

Federal officials said the 2018 numbers exceed the 10-year average of $310.3 million.

“When a storm enters the basin, the district’s 16 dams and reservoirs impound runoff and precipitation to cut the downstream flood crest on rivers and then release the stored water in a controlled manner after the crest has passed to make space for the next storm’s runoff,” a statement from the Corps of Engineers said. “In total, the district’s system of 16 federal flood risk management reservoirs have prevent nearly $13 billion in flood damages in real dollars since their construction.”

According to data from the Corps, Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir are responsible for $47.78 million of that total, raising the Dam and Reservoir’s total damage prevented since its construction in the 1960s at $1,330,541,000.

The Corps of Engineers highlighted two tropical storms – Gordon and Florence – as “the most significant flood event” of the fiscal year 2018 period.

“Of the 8.5 inches that occurred over the month in Pittsburgh, 5.61 inches fell as a result of Gordon in a 60-hour period from the September 8-10,” the Corps said. “Close to ten inches of rain was recorded during this time frame, with the heaviest rain just south of the Pittsburgh International Airport. The 3.73 inches that occurred in the 24 hours period ending on the September 9 was the second highest rainfall total for Pittsburgh since the remnants of Hurricane Ivan hit the area in September 2004.”

The Corps said that flood damage from that September event alone totaled over $340 million.

“Total flood damage reduction for this event within the Pittsburgh District was $128.4 million in Pennsylvania, $96.8 million in Ohio, $134.4 million in West Virginia, $13 thousand in New York, and $396 thousand in Maryland.”