Area flood victims still recovering, disaster declaration to provide aid

Jerry Flasher, Franklin County Emergency Services Director, and Cheryl Plummer, Franklin County Commissioner, announced the lastest on flood disaster relief.

Although local residents were aware that heavy rains during late June posed a threat of flooding, few realized how extensive the flooding damage would be. Now in addition to a being federal disaster area from the flooding, Franklin County is also now eligible for public disaster aid.

Rainfall comparable to a tropical downpour dumped nearly 11 inches in a few days, filling basements of homes in low-lying areas of the borough and township with four to six feet of standing water, ruining carpet, furniture and drywall in the process. Many residents who pumped out their basements were forced to do so multiple times, as rainfall continued.

In one example of the perils caused by the heavy rain, a 15year-old teenager whose family lives on Williamson Road wakened to the sound of breaking glass around 5 a.m. on June 26 and nearly drowned in his own basement bedroom as flood waters surged into the house after building up so much pressure that they shattered a pair of sliding glass doors.

Elsewhere, flood waters blocked roads, forcing street and bridge closings and marooning vehicles that attempted to pass through swollen streams.

Federal disaster area

After the storm was over, Franklin County was declared a federal disaster area, and now residents whose homes or businesses sustained damage are eligible for disaster aid. A Disaster Recovery Center has been set up at the Norland Shopping Plaza, 2593 Philadelphia Ave. in Chambersburg. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday. Residents can also apply by phone at 1-800-621FEMAor online at www.fema.gov. Residents will be asked to give a phone number where they can be reached and will also be asked to contact their insurance company.

According to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) documents, applicants will be asked general information about housing need, damage to residence, income, and insurance. Applicants will be assigned an application number that will help FEMA representatives locate their file in the system. According to the FEMA instructions, applicants should write the number down to have it secure and handy in the future.

Within a few days of the application, a FEMA inspector will call applicants to arrange a visit to the damaged building. According to FEMA literature, if applicants' insurance coverage does not include temporary housing needs, they may be eligible for help from FEMA. The inspector will look at the disaster-related damages for FEMA's Individuals and Households Program.

According to the literature, applicants who qualify for the Individuals and Households Program will receive a check and separate letter explaining how it may be used. Applicants may also get checks from other programs later.

Disaster Housing checks may be used for rental assistance if the residence is uninhabitable because of the disaster. Homeowners may use FEMA housing repair grants for essential repairs to make primary rooms functional.

Aid available In addition, registrants may be sent a loan application from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to FEMA instructions, it is very important that the application be completed and returned to the SBA. FEMA literature notes that applicants who do not fill out and return the SBA application may not be considered for other assistance.

The SBA offers low-interest disaster loans to renters, homeowners, business owners and nonprofit organizations for losses not fully covered by insurance. For more information, contact the SBA Customer service line at 1-800659-2955 or visit www.sba.gov. Loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners for repairs. Renters and homeowners can borrow up to $40,000 for replacement of disaster damaged personal property. Businesses can apply for up to $1.5 million to repair or replace damaged assets. In addition, small businesses without physical losses may be eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans to provide working capital until normal operations can resume. Borrowers may be eligible to borrow up to 20 percent more to prevent future losses caused by a similar disaster.

According to the FEMA literature, assistance is available without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability or economic status. FEMA notes that its disaster assistance covers basic needs only and will not normally compensate for the entire loss, and will only help pay for basic needs not covered by insurance. In addition, some forms of FEMA aid do not have to be paid back while others must be paid back.

Public disaster aid

With the declaration of eligibility for public disaster aid on July 20, municipalities and other entities eligible for disaster relief can seek help from FEMA.

According to county estimates, public roads and utilities sustained about $450,000 in damage from the floods.

"This amendment to include public assistance allows the county to access Federal Public Assistance funding which provides cost reimbursement aid to local governments and certain private, nonprofit agenices, educational institutions, utilities, emergency servies, medical facilites, custodial care facilities and other health and safety services," said Jerry Flasher, the county's Emergency Services Director.

In addition, the state has agreed to fund the 25 percent local share for the relief, which will take that burden off the local municipalities.

A meeting was held Monday for those entities and organizations wanting to make application under the new declaration, that also opens Franklin County residents to eligible for Disaster Unemployment Compensation. Application can be made at the Disaster Recovery Center.

County Commissioner Cheryl Plummer said the declaration will give fire and rescue organizations a way to recoup money for the services they provide.

Flasher noted Thursday that so far there have been 273 applicants for individual assistance in the county and 85 processed applications at the Disaster Recovery Center.

Flasher placed the flooding damage among the third worst in the county.

"The total damage is going to far exceed our estimates," said Flasher.

"It's not going to be a short term thing for us to deal with. We could be dealing with this for 12 to 18 months."

Antrim Township manager Ben Thomas said about 16 citizens called the township offices to report flood damage assessments. Based on those reports, the government declared the area a Federal Disaster Area, Thomas noted.

Thomas said people no longer need to report damage to Antrim Township and instead should call FEMA directly. "We are strongly encouraging people to call FEMA," he said, adding that local governments are waiting to hear if municipalities themselves will also be eligible for disaster assistance.

Thomas said flooding did little lasting damage to public structures in Antrim Township. "Our damage is rather light, probably less than $10,000," he said, adding that a couple of bridges and culverts would need repairs after the flooding.