‘This is devastating’: Wolf surveys flood damage
BRIDGEPORT >> Gov. Tom Wolf returned to the area Wednesday afternoon to survey damage from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Last week, he was in Upper Dublin Township as he observed damage from an EF-2 tornado that ripped through the area. This week, he was in Bridgeport.
The borough was rocked as floodwaters poured through the area last Wednesday, through the late afternoon, evening and overnight hours into Thursday. The nearby Schuylkill River in Norristown had crested at roughly 26 feet last Thursday, according to figures from The National Weather Service.
“This is devastating. You go around and what can you say? People have lost so much,” Wolf told MediaNews Group during a press conference. “Just shake their hand, look them in the eye and say, I’m real sorry for their loss. It’s poignant.”
Local, state and federal officials accompanied the governor along his tour of the Montgomery County borough.
Bridgeport Police Chief Todd Bereda told Wolf of the hundreds of residents impacted by the storm.
More than 500 people were displaced as a result of the storm, according to
Bereda, who added there were roughly 300 evacuations carried out, of which 75 were conducted by way of swift water rescue.
It was there he saw piles of discarded items, damaged homes and residents and business owners working to pick up the pieces.
For Bridgeport Mayor Mark Barbee, it really does take a village to put Bridgeport back together.
“We’ve really been holding it down as a community, and really working with one another, and working with institutions, and local groups to get back on
track,” Barbee told MediaNews Group.
Also on Wednesday, Wolf requested that President Joe Biden declare a major disaster in Pennsylvania following heavy rainfall, severe flash flooding, and tornadoes from Tropical Depression Ida that impacted Pennsylvania on Aug. 31 through Sept. 5.
“I am requesting a federal disaster declaration because Pennsylvanians and our communities need and deserve critical support as they recover from significant damages to their homes and public infrastructure,” Wolf said. “This storm brought historic rainfall and flooding, as well as rare tornadoes, devastating
many communities. We believe we meet the federal government’s thresholds based on the damage assessments conducted so far, so this request is another necessary step in the process to recover from the impacts of this terrible storm.”
The governor’s request includes a major disaster declaration for individual assistance for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties; public assistance for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Fulton, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties; and for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to be made available to all 67 counties of the Commonwealth.