Pennsylvania Counties Hit By Flooding To Get Federal Aid
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Federal disaster relief is heading to four Pennsylvania counties hit by October's flash flooding.
Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday the federal government has granted his request for aid to Bradford, Centre, Lycoming and Sullivan counties.
The disaster declaration covers more than $33 million in damages, and the federal money will reimburse state agencies and county and municipal governments up to 75 percent of their eligible costs.
"This flooding caused considerable damage to state and local infrastructure, and the financial impact would have caused significant strain on the communities and their economies," Wolf said. "This assistance will make a big difference in these communities that simply cannot absorb the cost of repairs."
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The freak Oct. 21 storm deluged parts of western and central Pennsylvania with up to 7 inches of rain, triggering mudslides and damaging roads and hundreds of homes. One man was killed when a tree crashed into his home.
The flooding also washed out a bridge, leading to a pipeline rupture that spilled about 55,000 gallons of gasoline intro a tributary of Loyalsock Creek. Water monitoring revealed no impact to drinking water supplies.
Eligible expenses for which the state, county and local governments can seek reimbursement include overtime, repairs to damaged public infrastructure, equipment rentals, materials, search and rescue operations, and shelter operations.
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