HARRISBURG (TNS) — Tropical storm Debby has reached the damage assessment phase in Pennsylvania.
That’s not complete yet, but some numbers are starting to come in on the scope of the damage from the tornado that touched down in Harrisburg and flooding that washed out roads and wreaked general havoc in other parts of the state.
According to Dauphin County emergency management officials, at least 130 residences incurred damage Thursday night into Friday.
Most of those appeared to be in Harrisburg, where Fire Chief Brian Enterline said 111 buildings were affected by the tornado that touched down near Gibson Street in Steelton about 4:33 a.m. Friday and swept to the north.
It was not immediately clear how many city residents were displaced, though in most cases it appeared that the damages were mostly cosmetic.
Enterline said his staff counted seven buildings, including the Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church, that were significantly damaged by the storm.
The tornado, the first confirmed in Harrisburg since 1996, reached wind speeds of 105 mph, and at its widest stretched 300 yards. It traveled nearly 3.5 miles north, according to the National Weather Service.
As for the downed trees that caused so much of the damage, city spokesman Matt Maisel said public works crews worked through the weekend and will continue to focus on storm clean-up until all debris is gone.
As of Monday, Maisel said the city’s storm-related costs had exceeded $400,000, including roughly $150,000 for debris removal; $100,000 for road repairs; $167,000 for street light/utility pole damage.
As frightening as the night-time tornado was in Harrisburg, the heaviest damage statewide, according to Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Ruth Miller, seemed to be concentrated in the northern Pennsylvania counties of Lycoming, Potter and Tioga.
There, copious amounts of rain triggered flash flooding that hammered communities like Westfield in Tioga County, and the village of Trout Run in Lycoming County.
“So many people are displaced and lost their homes. It’s hard to imagine until you see it,” Westfield Mayor Faun James told the Elmira Star-Gazette Monday. “Pictures don’t do it justice. It’s heartbreaking.
“A lot of people don’t have flood insurance, including me, because I’m not in a flood zone,” she said. “I still have five feet of water in my basement, and I lost everything in my basement. I still have a place to lay my head, and some people aren’t that fortunate.”
Crews are also still searching for a person reported missing in the aftermath of the storm.
(A similar search is still ongoing along the Yellow Breeches Creek in Fairview Township, York County for a a boy who was kayaking Saturday when he went under the water and did not resurface.)
In Lycoming County, residents evacuated to the Trout Run fire station Friday were forced to move to another location when floodwaters ripped out a substantial portion of the building’s foundation.
The fire company, according to The Williamsport Sun-Gazette, is still answering calls with some of its vehicles now parked outside.
One disaster relief organization working in the three northern tier counties mentioned above told PennLive Monday night that its canvassers had already counted nearly 400 homes in need of some type of post-storm help.
In all, Gov. Josh Shapiro declared a disaster emergency covering 21 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, including Adams, Cumberland and Dauphin counties in the midstate.
PEMA’s Miller said “it’s still too early to know for sure if we hit thresholds for any federal assistance, such as Public Assistance (for infrastructure like roads, bridges, water treatment facilities), Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters, or Small Business Administration loans.”
Any property owners who did sustain damages should report them to their municipal or county emergency management office, Miller said.
Nationally, Debby appears poised to become the 20th weather-related event nationally to cause damages in excess of $1 billion this year.
Emergency officials also stressed Monday that anyone storm recovery needs can call a new hotline, (844) 965-1386, to get on the list for help.
The help line, managed by Pennsylvania Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and Crisis Cleanup aims to efficiently coordinate volunteer assistance for “muck out” operations, tree removal and debris cleanup for affected residents.
The Crisis Cleanup line will be open through Aug. 23.
Meanwhile, some in the storm’s path were already expressing relief that things, for them, hadn’t been worse, and looking hopefully to the future.
That included the congregation of Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church, at 2217 Derry St., where an office and education wing took a direct hit from the tornado, but the sanctuary was left untouched.
“What a beautiful reminder this week that no matter where we are or what we go through, or what our building looks like, God is on our side, God is good, and God is with us,” Senior Pastor Hank Johnson told those gathered for Sunday morning services.
