Flooding in Pennsylvania destroys 518 homes

The floodwaters that inundated parts of Pennsylvania last month destroyed at least 518 homes and affected another 7,100 homes and businesses, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

The preliminary damage figures are almost certain to grow as investigators continue to tally the destruction caused by days of heavy rains, said PEMA spokesman Justin Fleming.

Eastern concentration
“It’s just a snapshot in time,” Fleming said. “That’s the information we use to be able to present the federal government with evidence that there was destruction in these counties.”

The damage was concentrated in the eastern half of the state.

In Bucks County, 308 single-family homes sustained serious damage. Luzerne County had 23 homes destroyed and 492 otherwise affected. Schuylkill County reported 52 businesses with major damage among the 618 structures affected.

PEMA said 2,220 homes or businesses had major damage, 3,045 minor damage and 1,845 were otherwise affected.

The state also estimates at least $76 million in damage to public infrastructure such as bridges and roads.

Eight counties have been approved for federal aid to repair that damage, and 21 counties have been designated for federal assistance for individuals, according to officials.