Governor Wolf tours Delco areas impacted by flooding
DARBY, Pa. (WPVI) -- Governor Tom Wolf was in Delaware County Thursday surveying some of the areas hit hardest by Monday's flooding.
In Darby Borough, the cleanup continues with the trauma of the floods still fresh.
Hadiah Johnson arrived to her home to learn her baby son and brother-in-law were still inside. She recalled telling onlookers, "'My son is in there!'"
Her baby was rescued by boat, a Red Cross representative said.
Governor Wolf toured Springfield and Macdade, flanked by local officials and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Rick Flinn. They spoke about creating long-term solutions, including planning more regionally.
Wolf explained, "One of the problems here is that people here, Darby Creek, when it rains a lot, you're feeling the consequences of decisions that were made way up the Schuylkill River."
PEMA Director Rick Flinn added, "The mantra is prevent, protect, respond, recover. If we can prevent something from happening, then we don't have to go through all this."
In Upper Darby, Governor Wolf met with Mayor Tom Micozzie and other officials at Marshal Road and Long Lane. Water swept through homes and businesses nearby. People lost appliances, furniture, computers, tools, and cars, in some cases breaching the preventive measures already in place.
Resident Rose Gilbert said, "We actually had mulch, sandbags. It didn't work."
Mayor Micozzie explained how the flooding occurred.
"North of here, Radnor, is getting hit by heavy rain 3.5 inches, very quickly. Our pipes are filling up downstream because the culvert system met capacity. Then the storm is coming east, so when the storm hits here there's nowhere for the water to go," Micozzie said.
The governor says a proposal is in the works to help communities find funding when this kind of disaster strikes.
Wolf said, "We are trying to figure out in a bipartisan way to get support for a revolving fund that would help municipalities devastated by something like this."
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