Dec 11, 2003 By Josh Krysak 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County residents and businesses with damaged homes and buildings after heavy flooding last month will have to wait a little longer before they know whether federal aid will be available for damage costs, the county’s emergency management agency head said Wednesday. Despite reports that the county has already been approved for federal aid, Greene County Emergency Management Director Jeff Marshall said there has not been any aid money guaranteed to his office.

“There is a misconception out there that when the governor made the declaration Friday night that gave us the financial programs that we needed,” Marshall said.

“Essentially, what he did was the second step of the three-step process. Initially, the county had to declare disaster and ask the state for help. The state then declared disaster and asked the federal government for help. We won’t get any financial help until the federal government declares the county a disaster. At this time, I have still not heard a yes or a no.”

Friday, state Gov. Ed Rendell requested federal disaster assistance for the county because of the severe flood damage.

Rendell said the storm caused significant property damage and that “lasting devastating consequences” will result if funds are not appropriated.

Rendell specifically requested individual assistance, which includes programs for individual households, disaster unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, hazard mitigation and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

If the loans are approved, homeowners would be eligible to borrow up to $200,000 for structural damage and up to $40,000 for lost possessions. Tenants could also borrow up to $40,000 for lost possessions and businesses could borrow up to $1.5 million for losses caused by the disaster.

State Sen. J. Barry Stout (D-Bentleyville), State Rep. Tim Solobay (D-Washington) and State Rep. H. William DeWeese (D-Waynesburg) all supported Rendell’s action and called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency for relief.

Marshall said that he expects some low-interest loans and some grants to be available if the aid is approved and noted that lacking flood insurance should not affect residents seeking to recoup their losses.

He added that the county has not placed a dollar figure on the total damage and that if aid is granted to the county, announcements will be made for residents seeking assistance with the program.

“What I suspect is that a telephone number will be set up and people will be able to call in and do the filing over the phone,” Marshall said.

After conducting an initial assessment of the flood damage last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decided it needed to take another look to determine if Greene County residents and businesses will receive relief funds.

Marshall said the floodwaters damaged 315 single-family and mobile homes to varying degrees and affected 72 businesses.

Some families are still not in their homes and one business remains closed, he said.

Marshall said that because of the flooding, more than 50 residents were forced to live away from their homes, and while no total estimates have been compiled, public offices such as schools and municipalities already have suffered $514,000 in damage, not including losses inflicted on the West Greene School District.

Two teams composed of state and federal emergency representatives explored the residences damaged, and another inspection team investigated the businesses affected.

Flooding closed two major routes into Waynesburg and the county commissioners declared the county a disaster area as local residents and businesses were deluged Nov. 19.