Flooding chalks up $7.5M in damages
Nearly two weeks after flooding cause damage to many areas throughout Northampton County, officials are now estimating the storms caused more than $7.5 million in damages.
Northampton County said in a news release Friday that 12 municipalities reported damage from the July 16 storms, collectively totaling roughly $7.5 million in damages. Palmer Township has reported the most at about $3.7 million.
The $7,550,000 is an increase of $2.5 million from last week, when county officials estimated roughly $5 million in damage.
The following municipalities have reported damage so far:
Bangor Borough for damage to infrastructure and roads
Northampton County for damage to bridges
East Bangor Borough for damage to roads
Forks Township for damage to infrastructure and roads
Lower Mount Bethel Township for damage to roads
Palmer Township for damage to infrastructure and parks
Pen Argly Borough for damage to roads
Plainfield Township for damage to infrastructure and roads
Stockertown Borough for damage to parks and recreational trail
Tatamy Borough for damage to a municipal park
Washington Township for damage to infrastructure and roads
West Easton for damage to roads Bangor, Forks Township, Lower Mount Bethel Township, Palmer Township, Plainfield Township, Upper Mount Bethel Township and Washington Township all enacted disaster declarations because of the damage the storms caused.
In addition to government-owned properties, the county’s emergency management service received reports of damages to 210 households across Bangor, Bushkill Township, East Bangor Borough, Forks Township, Lower Mount Bethel Township, Nazareth, Palmer Township, Plainfield Township, Portland, Stockertown, Upper Mount Bethel Township and Washington Township.
Federal Emergency Management Agency teams are expected to survey the damage next week, alongside state, county and municipal officials, to assess individual and public assistance, according to the release. Federal assistance is not guaranteed.
Preliminary public assistance damage estimates include $400,000 in damage to county bridges, $1.6 million in damage to Forks Township, over $1 million in damage to Lower Mount Bethel Township and $3.7 million in damage in Palmer Township, according to the county. Affected municipalities are still reporting some of their estimated costs.
To qualify for disaster relief aid, the county needs to document at least $1,389,502.44 in public assistance damages, and the commonwealth must document at least $23,014,795 for any county or the state to receive a disaster declaration, according to the county.
Residents or business owners affected by the flooding are encouraged to report damage to their municipalities and complete the damage questionnaire at http://ncem-pa.org/. The questionnaire will ensure the county sends damage reports to FEMA and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the release states.
The existing crisis cleanup hotline, which can be reached at 844-9651386, will remain open until Aug. 4.
The hotline has no local, county, state or federal affiliation, and it was created to connect those affected with information and assistance.