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Flood Relief Funds Headed to Bradford County

NEW ALBANY, Pa. — Three months after flooding left millions of dollars of damage across our area, some federal relief money is on the way. President Trump...

NEW ALBANY, Pa. -- Three months after flooding left millions of dollars of damage across our area, some federal relief money is on the way. President Trump declared a disaster for 10 Pennsylvania counties.

Parts of Bradford County were rocked by the August flooding. Newswatch 16 spoke with victims who are still dealing with damage.

It has been three months since flooding damaged Dale Hatch's tractor and washed away his firewood in New Albany. He and his nephew spent the morning chopping wood from a fallen tree where the New Albany Library once stood in Bradford County.

"I had eight feet of water on the back side of the house. We had about six inches on the main floor," Hatch said.

Bradford County is one of 10 counties across Pennsylvania that has been approved for disaster relief.

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President Trump announced a federal disaster declaration for Bradford, Columbia, Montour, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Montour, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties.

"You know we have had a summer of flooding. That wasn't the first. That was the third flood, and a lot of the municipalities sustained major damage," said Bradford County Commissioner Doug McLinko.

McLinko says Bradford County suffered $13 million in damage during the summer floods.

The declaration means local governments can get federal money to pay for repairs and overtime costs because of flood damage.

"We will have public meetings and stuff, and we will all learn how to get those funds, but there are a lot of roads that have been washed out. Our townships and boroughs have done a ton of work just to get the bridges back open," said McLinko.

Homeowners like Dale Hatch will have to wait to see if they will get federal assistance.

"Not only me but a lot of other people in town have damage and you know it hits you in the pocketbook," Hatch said.

Officials are not sure when federal assistance will come in Bradford County. The plan is to use that money to reimburse townships that are financially drained because of the floods.

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