NORRISTOWN — The remnants of Hurricane Ida tore through Montgomery County one month ago, wreaking havoc on the region.
While the total extent of the damage is not yet known, many local families are still struggling to pick up the pieces.
In the days following the storm, Montgomery County officials established a Multi-Agency Resource Center in downtown Norristown to help direct residents impacted by the storm to a number of services.
An American Red Cross Shelter was set up at Norristown Area High School for those in need.
When President Joe Biden authorized a federal disaster declaration last month for Pennsylvania, FEMA got involved. A disaster recovery center opened at Montgomery County Community College’s Blue Bell campus on Sept. 16.
There, residents could apply for individual disaster assistance and speak with representatives from a number of federal, state and county agencies.
“Hopefully everyone should have applied for FEMA benefits, and are working through that, but there’s a gap in terms of when that begins and it may not cover everything they need to replace,” said Barbara O’Malley, Montgomery County’s deputy chief operating officer.
Residents and businesses in the county were devastated both by historic flooding and an EF-2 tornado.
O’Malley noted several areas where residents are seeking assistance including Bridgeport, Mont Clare, Norristown, and Schwenksville.
“We really do want people to be aware there’s a lot of people who’ve been impacted, who are still displaced, and really are frankly unsure of where they’re going to go next, and it’s really difficult for them,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said county officials have worked on “debris management” and “taking care of rescues” in the wake of the storm.
While the total number of displaced residents is unclear, officials have recorded 153 households that have been displaced as a result of the Sept. 1 storm, according to Montgomery County’s Communications Director Kelly Cofrancisco.
Along with the county’s 211 program, stakeholders have partnered with several local organizations to help connect residents with more immediate assistance in the days following the storm.
“We’ve had a lot of people who were placed through some great local nonprofits like ACLAMO and the Upper Merion [Community] Cupboard, and they’ve got donations, but frankly, they can’t afford the cost to maintain a hotel room for the residents,” O’Malley said. “So the county has taken over payments for those individuals that can’t afford it any longer.”
County officials are working to cover the cost of a number of resources including housing, food and transportation.
“The county has expended approximately $235,000 to provide food, shelter and incidentals to date,” Cofrancisco said.
O’Malley said more than 160 rooms in 20 different Montgomery County hotels have been covered. Cofrancisco added that “food [is] being provided by the YWCA to each hotel resident.”
As for transportation, county officials are using GoGo Grandparent to help connect residents in need with Uber and Lyft rides.
Additionally, O’Malley stressed the importance of spreading awareness of support services available to residents.
“We’re just trying to give them as many resources as possible,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley added a “needs assistance survey” will soon be published. Residents are encouraged to complete the survey so that county officials can get a better idea of who has been impacted by the storm and what their needs are.
Additionally, the Montgomery County Foundation, Inc. launched the Montco Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, raising more than $140,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
Proceeds from the fundraising campaign will go to local nonprofits, which will then disperse assistance by way of food, housing, gasoline, and other household items.
“It’s really devastating. People have lost literally everything in terms of everything from memories, to their appliances, to their furniture, and that’s not even covered sometimes in insurance,” O’Malley said. “So again they’re going to need to rebuild a lot of things over time. So we really hope this is going to help people get back on their feet.”
Those interested in contributing can do so by text, online or via a check. For more information, visit www.montcopa.org/ida.
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October 04, 2021 at 04:11PM
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Montgomery County works to help those impacted by Ida - The Reporter
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