Bucks County residents raise concerns ahead of potential flooding from Ida

One of the concerns Bucks County residents have is if they get hit again, what protection will they have?

Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Bucks Co. residents concerned ahead of Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida, which is expected to impact the region this week, has homeowners concerned about potential flood damage.

BUCKS COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Bucks County flood victims are bracing themselves yet again for what could come their way ahead of the remnants of Hurricane Ida expected to impact the region this week.

On Tuesday at the Lafayette Garden Condominiums in Bensalem, Bucks County, Kathleen Hamilton was with contractors still cleaning up from July's storms and flooding that ravaged the complex.

"It's very scary because we're trying to repair and recover, and then we hope we don't incur more damage," said Hamilton, who was working with mold experts and a plumber on her day off from her nursing job at a local hospital.

RELATED: Parts of Bucks County condominium complex may be "totally gone" after flood

People around Bucks County are taking stock of the damage after an unrelenting storm dumped torrential rain on the area, leading to massive flooding.

In Croydon, homeowners in several houses near Spencer Drive and Stephen Avenue still cannot move in.

One of the concerns is if they get hit again, what protection will they have?

Last week Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf sent a letter to FEMA officials that read in part:

"While I am grateful to the Small Business Administration for granting this declaration, I want to bring to your attention a troubling trend in our commonwealth.

In Pennsylvania, the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events continues to increase.
While these short duration, high intensity precipitation events result in significant damages and impacts to human lives, these localized incidents rarely meet the thresholds needed for federal disaster aid in the form of Individual Assistance under the provisions of section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act."

ALSO RELATED: Will the state help Bucks County residents hit by historic flash flood?

Republican State Representative Frank Farry said as a fire chief with the Langhorne-Middletown Fire Company - he has seen first-hand evacuation efforts when it comes to severe flooding.

Additionally, while there is some state relief for victims, people in the county need to know FEMA can provide additional assistance.

"We need to find a long-term fix. It's Commonwealth-wide," he said. "What we're seeing is more significant weather events. Just the way the storm develops, it's so localized it just pounds one specific area."