Knoxville, Pa. — This week, area legislators and leaders toured some of the most flood-affected areas in Lycoming and Tioga counties.
The group included State Sen. Gene Yaw (R-23), State Rep. Clint Owlett (R-68), State Rep. Joe Hamm (R-84) and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield.
The intense flooding was caused by the remnants of Hurricane Debby, which passed through the region on Friday, Aug. 9.
“The damage left behind by the storms and flooding is devastating,” Yaw said. “The resilience and determination of the people here is truly inspiring and in the face of overwhelming destruction, our first responders have shown extraordinary courage and dedication. Rep. Owlett, Rep. Hamm and I are committed to ensuring that state resources are swiftly mobilized to support recovery efforts. We will work together with PEMA and local officials to rebuild stronger and safer communities.”
“Knowing this community as I do, we should not be surprised by the strength of the response, but it is something we must never take for granted,” Owlett said. “Our fire and EMS providers are almost exclusively volunteers. They have given so much of their time to train for disasters like this, and for the last several days they have put that training into practice, giving hope and saving lives. While I am devastated to see what so many of our friends and neighbors are going through, I am also deeply proud of how people are pulling together to help one another.”
“Although the losses from the recent flooding events have been extensive, the great people of Lycoming and Tioga Counties are strong and resilient,” Hamm said. “Our local volunteer first responders have been incredible and have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors in need. I encourage anyone who experienced damage from the flooding to report it to the county and their local Emergency Management Coordinator if they have not already done that. Our community has come together to help one another and I’ve been inspired by the outpouring of help I’ve witnessed firsthand. I will continue to do everything I can to make sure our area has the proper resources from the state to get roads reopened, buildings rebuilt and homes restored.”
While flood waters have receded, attention now turns to relief and recovery efforts. At the request of county emergency management officials, PEMA deployed a 19-member multi-agency Incident Management Team (PA-IMT) to assist with recovery operations.
Related reading: Emergency response in place to help flood victims after Tropical Storm Debby
The PA-IMT began operations Wednesday. The deployment will last one week and may be extended if the need for assistance continues.
Officials are strongly encouraging residents and business owners affected by the flood to take a large number of photos of damaged items to help document the communities’ losses. Anyone who has not yet reported damages to their properties, or who is uncertain if their property has been included, should call the Tioga County Emergency Operations Center at 570-724-9110, the Lycoming County Emergency Operations Center at 570-433-4461 or the Potter County Department of Emergency Services at 814-274-8900 ext. 555.
Other impacted areas throughout the region are also eligible and should call the Emergency Operations Center of their county to report damage. Municipalities should report any damage to roads, bridges or other infrastructure caused by the flooding.
Following the tour, the lawmakers praised members of the community for their donations of food, water and cleaning supplies to help those affected by the floods. They also stressed their intention to push for better policies around flooding.
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