FLOOD OF ASSISTANCE

Victim of Hurricane Ida is giving back by serving as county ambassador

NORRISTOWN » Yvonne Turner recalled the deluge of water as the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved through Montgomery County last month.

“It was a little scary obviously when you’re surrounded by 27 feet of water. But we got out. We feel very, very blessed,” Turner said in a phone interview with MediaNews Group.

Turner shares an apartment in Norristown with her brother, her adult son and his spouse. While Turner said her family lost three vehicles in the Sept. 1 storm, they were able to escape the floodwaters in Norristown.

According to figures from the National Weather Service, the Norristown stretch of the river crested at 26.85 feet as of 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 2, which was considered 13 feet above the flood stage.

“We fortunately live on a floor where the window backs up to the roadway, so some people in our complex did not have the option, but we had the option to climb out of the window and make our way out of the complex,” she said.

Turner called herself “fortunate,” acknowledging that her home was still in tact and the vehicles lost in the flood have since been replaced.

Turner, who works as an administrative assistant in the Montgomery County Commissioners Office, said she wanted to lend a helping hand to her neighbors and others who’ve been displaced as a result of the storm by serving as a hotel ambassador.

According to Montgomery County Deputy Chief Operating Officer Barbara O’Malley, the program was

“All of the resources that we have at our disposal we’re trying to make sure that we make people aware of them so they can access them and use them to get back on their feet.” — Yvonne Turner

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO Cars can be seen submerged in water in Bridgeport following flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

PHOTO COURTESY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PA Yvonne Turner