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Working to Protect Historic Properties from Flood Waters

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP — Crews hit the streets in Monroe County Wednesday, kicking off a state pilot project to protect historic properties from flood damage. ...

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP -- Crews hit the streets in Monroe County Wednesday, kicking off a state pilot project to protect historic properties from flood damage.

This project is the first of its kind in the state.

Crews are compiling a comprehensive list of historic properties in flood-prone areas to try and come up with strategies to protect them from disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.

Crews in yellow vests canvased Cherry Valley near Stroudsburg, stopping to document every historic home and building that sits in a flood plain.

Many residents in Hamilton Township were surprised by the visit.

"It was explained to me that they are doing a census of historic buildings and they're going to develop a plan of how to preserve them against storm damage," said Michael Dipaolo.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is behind the project. It selected Monroe County to be one of the first areas to gather an updated inventory of historic buildings and then incorporate it into the county's hazard mitigation plan for 2017.

"Basically, setting up a game plan on how to keep these structures throughout the county safe during flooding events," said EMA director Maryellen Keegan

County officials say the reason behind this project is Hurricane Irene.  Back in 2012, Irene left many areas washed out, including Marshalls Creek and low-lying flood plains along the Delaware River.

The state's Historical and Museum Commission is now investing $130,000 into this project in Monroe County.

Anyone who happens to see contractors out in front of their property taking a look at their homes shouldn't be alarmed. They'll also be given information about the project.

Richard Green was raking the leaves in Cherry Valley when he says he was surprised to see a survey crew.

"Actually, I didn't know what was going on, what they were doing," said Green.

The workers will be out and about for the next several months, trying to compile all of the information they can, something many people living in this flood plain approve of.

"It's something that's a benefit to the community so I'm all for that."

Identifying all of these buildings through this survey effort could open up federal and state grant opportunities for these flood-prone areas, helping protect them from any future disaster.

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