Flood damage in some areas worse than first estimated
The floodwaters that raged through part of Fayette County left more damage in their wake than officials initially anticipated in at least one municipality. The result was an emergency declaration by township officials a day after the waters receded.
D.J. Angelone, emergency management coordinator for Luzerne Township, announced Friday afternoon that the township supervisors had declared a state of emergency for the township following flooding in the areas of Hiller and Alicia the day before.
On Thursday, Brownsville Mayor Norma Ryan had declared a state of emergency for a portion of the borough.
The flooding occurred after mud, debris and water swept through the area. At times, parts of two of the county’s busiest highways, routes 119 and 51, were closed. The flash flooding occurred after rains aggravated a situation in which too much rain was already saturating the ground.
Angelone said the declaration for Luzerne Township came after a damage assessment revealed that damage estimates were higher than the township can handle. After an inspection on Saturday, Angelone said two homes in Hiller were “damaged severely.” He said a Lewis Street home that also houses the hair salon, “Carries Curls” sustained structural damage to the walls and floor. Also, two tanning beds, the furnace, a washer and dryer, a freezer and hair dryer were destroyed.
A Fourth Street home that sustained five feet of water in the basement also sustained structural damage. The washer, dryer, furnace and freezer in the home were also destroyed.
Angelone said 15 other homes in Hiller sustained substantial content damage when between one and two feet of water rushed inside basements. Angelone said the Hiller fire department also received moderate damage and a complete assessment is pending.
He said the declaration was forwarded to the county so state assistance can be obtained.
Elsewhere throughout the county, crews were out doing damage estimates and working to make sure additional rain doesn’t bring a repeat performance. Scott Dolan of the planning and training department in the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency, said Friday that crews were still on the assessment stages in the cleanup.
Dolan said Luzerne and Jefferson townships appeared to be the areas with the most damage reports. He said crews were making sure that all roads were open to provide access for emergency vehicles.
Additionally, he said crews were working to clear culverts, ditches and berms from debris. He noted that a bridge in Jefferson Township suffered damage when a stream became blocked.
Dolan said on Friday that a complete damage assessment wasn’t available because it wasn’t completed.
Flooding also damaged parts of Washington County, including West Brownsville and California. A spokesman for the Washington County Emergency Management Agency could not be reached for comment.