Townships To Coordinate Damage Assessments from Ida

The Wolf Administration provided an update on state agency response to the historic weather brought by Tropical Storm Ida. Rainfall totals ranged from 5 to 8 inches, breaking daily all-time records. The National Weather Service is investigating potential tornados on Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. Several waterways in the southeast shattered previous records, including the Brandywine and Schuylkill rivers. As of late yesterday morning, 389 roads were closed due to flooding, downed trees, and utilities, including 16 major interstates or expressways. While some of these roads have now reopened, others remain closed.  

 “I want to thank all of the emergency personnel who are worked so hard throughout the storm to keep Pennsylvanians safe,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “It will take time to complete damage assessments and make assistance and resources available, but we will continue to share information about assistance as it becomes available in the days and weeks ahead. Right now, my administration is continuing to do everything in our power to support local emergency officials as they begin to assess the damage this storm caused in their communities.”  

Township officials and local emergency management coordinators should work with their county emergency management office to assess and document the damage sustained to township infrastructure and the community. This assessment will determine whether each county will qualify for federal disaster funding.