I like taking Route 28 on the way to and from NYC just to pass through little towns like Kittanning. The scenery around these parts is simple, idyllic Americana. I like the classic look of the buildings, the dirt roads and the way 28 winds up and down hills and around corners. Up the hill from the garden center is Horse Trader magazine's headquarters. I like the mere idea that a publication named Horse Trader exists.
When I drive past Miller's Auto Body and see the "'96 High Water Mark" on the side of it, I wonder what that transpired there years ago. A flood, obviously. But that mark is so high from the level of the nearby creek – the tranquility here belies the effects of a natural disaster. I remember that there was a flood around that time, but I didn't see many results from it in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. A little poking around online reveals this report on the City of Pittsburgh's website.
During the second week of January 1996, Pittsburgh was hit with a snow storm of blizzard proportions. Following this huge snowfall was a winter thaw and heavy rains.
I was 15 then. I remember the flood happening, this natural phenomenon that only affected other people, but only in bits and pieces. This is what it did then, now.