Northampton County says estimated damages from last weekend’s flash flooding events have surpassed $5 million. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
The county said in a release Friday that many municipalities have reported estimated costs, and that accumulative damages are estimated to be between $5,500,000 and $6,000,000.
This estimate includes around $400,000 in damages to county bridges.
As of Friday, eleven municipalities have reported municipal damages. They are:
- Bangor Borough (infrastructure, roadways)
- County of Northampton (bridges)
- East Bangor Borough (roadways)
- Forks Township (infrastructure, roadways)
- Lower Mount Bethel Township (roadways)
- Palmer Township
- Plainfield Township (infrastructure, roadways)
- Stockertown Borough (park, recreational trail)
- Tatamy Borough (municipal park)
- Washington Township (infrastructure, roadways)
- West Easton (roadways)
Six have enacted disaster declarations due to damages sustained – Bangor Borough and Lower Mount Bethel, Upper Mount Bethel, Palmer, Plainfield, and Washington townships.
Northampton County Emergency Management Services is still working to gather damage assessments. Officials said the agency has received reports of residential damages from over 150 households across 11 municipalities so far.
The county continues to urge residents and business owners that were affected by the July 16 floods to report damages to their local municipalities and fill out the online damage questionnaire, available on the NCEMS website, to start the countywide assessment process.
The damage reports will be sent to both PEMA and FEMA, and all assessments will be entered into the state’s damage reporter system.
A Crisis Clean-Up Hotline has been established to connect people with information and possible assistance by calling 844-965-1386.
It will remain open through Friday, Aug. 4. The hotline is not affiliated with any local, county, state, or federal agency.
According to the 2022-2023 Public Assistance County & State Threshold Figures, Northampton County must document at least $1,389,502.44 in accumulative public assistance damages.to qualify for relief aid.
Pennsylvania must also document a minimum of at least $23,014,795 for any county or the state to receive a federal disaster declaration.
(Original air-date: 7/21/23)
