CHESTER HILL, Pa. (WJAC) — A meeting in Clearfield County Tuesday aimed to help Chester Hill residents move forward after severe flooding damaged multiple properties last month.
"I had this for 20 years. This mobile home and that was my livelihood," resident Shirley Kelce said.
Several residents attended the borough council meeting looking for answers. Answers, as far as what’s next for them and their homes after serve flooding damaged their neighborhoods.
"We lost a whole kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, furniture," resident Wayne Dixon said.
Residents listed the things lost after heavy rain fall caused flooding in Chester Hill in September. The damage forced some people to evacuate and look for new homes.
"Now people can't afford that,” Kelce said. “A lot of these people are on disability a lot of them are single woman who need a home. It's not right.”
Borough officials held a meeting along with Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to address residents’ concerns after the flooding.
"It's being addressed and in place things are starting to work out for everyone," Chester Hill Borough Mayor Billy Carpenter said.
"Unfortunately, due to the size of magnitude that occurred here, there's really no federal assistance available to them either in grants or in loans," PEMA individual assistance officer Stephen Michelone Jr. said.
Some residents were unhappy with that response.
"I was expecting them to tell me that they would help me get back on the track, but it didn't work," Kelce said.
"I don't think they told me anything that's going to help us," Dixon said.
Some people were upset because they've waited this long to have the meeting. The initial meeting was scheduled for September.
"The first meeting was supposed to be set up, but this is the first one they've set," Dixon said.
PEMA did speak on the opportunities for residents who saw damage from the flooding.
"The municipality would purchase the property at pre-flood value and then they can use that money in any way they wish," Michelone said.
But not everyone agreed with that option.
"If you have 18-24 months to wait, what do you do in the meantime," Dixon said.
As of now, residents say they’ll handle things their own way.
"We're going to try to get things fixed up," Kelce said.
Carpenter said officials are doing what they can. He said he hopes this will encourage some residents to invest in flood insurance for the future.
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