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Three Years After Flood, Homes Finally Torn Down

JENKINS TOWNSHIP — Demolition crews are tearing down a cluster of crumbling homes in Luzerne County three years after the Susquehanna River flooded. Littl...

JENKINS TOWNSHIP -- Demolition crews are tearing down a cluster of crumbling homes in Luzerne County three years after the Susquehanna River flooded.

Little has changed in the Port Blachard section of Jenkins Township over the past three years. Many of the crumbling, flood damaged houses in the neighborhood near Pittston remain though the water is long gone.

Dozens of homes were submerged when the Susquehanna River flooded in September 2011.

"It kind of looked bad. It looked like it was run down. I know a lot of people that were over there were upset," said Gil Dominick of Harding.

Now those eyesores are finally coming down.

Jenkins Township is using $1.3 million dollars from FEMA to take over the properties.

David Swedo works for Patriot Construction of Hazleton. It's one of two companies hired to salvage any metal wire, knock down the flooded out buildings, then level off the ground in the flood plain.

"Floors are rotted out, caved in. The one house up there is caved in. You can`t even get in it," Swedo said.

It has been just over three years since the Susquehanna river swelled over its banks and flooded this community. Some homes still are not ready to be demolished, because the power lines are still hooked up.

"We got to call PPL to disconnect the power. We can`t rip them down," Swedo said.

There are sneakers and slippers still sitting on the front stairs. Time has stood still inside the homes.

There's only a handful of people who still live in Port Planchard. They said they're glad to see the reminders of the flood torn down.

On the other side of the river at Gina's Pizza and Pasta, Dominick says it's about time.

"I feel bad for the people and everything they had to go through and the time they had to wait. But its looking pretty good. I`m glad to see that there`s movement and progress going on," Dominick said.

The abandoned houses should be gone by the end of the month.

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