With their fingers crossed the disaster meets the federal government threshold for disaster relief, earlier this week, congressional representatives toured the epicenters of the storm including Trout Run, English Center, Salladasburg and Lycoming and Hepburn townships but there remain pockets of damage all over, including in Washington Township.

On a three-hour tour of areas north and northwest of Williamsport in mini-transit vehicles provided by River Valley Transit Authority they saw homes abandoned — uprooted from their foundations by the force of the water. Giant holes were left in the basements, roads and bridges were washed out and erosion was widespread as guide rails along Route 287 were leaning over steeped sloped areas and places along the creek bed in Trout Run and English Center resembled rock quarries.

The jaw-dropping damage and power of Debby was viewed by several aides of U.S. and Pennsylvania lawmakers — all of whom are among the eyes on the ground as federal disaster relief funding may be possible if a four-county region is declared a federal disaster. The areas in question span Lycoming, Tioga, Potter and Union counties.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage along Little Pine Creek. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“We are here to get an idea of the scope of the damage,” said Ann Kaufman, a representative for U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard.

“We are here to make sure resources can be allocated appropriately for the communities,” she added.

Putting an actual figure on the damage is the job for the state Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to decide, Kaufman added.

The tour was a key part of the data collection needed to determine if the amount of damage meets the threshold for FEMA funding and included members of the Lycoming County government, including commissioners and planning department officials.

Federal disaster funds would be directed in two separate federal government declarations, one for the public, such as public bridges, and another for individual assistance.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage along Little Pine Creek. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Aides representing U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, and state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, rode along to see flood effects at numerous properties.

Joining the tour from Casey’s office were Kennedy O’Dell, Elizabeth Cooper and Derek Miller. Elliot Copeland represented Fetterman.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has declared a disaster for 28 counties, said Liz Vollman with Yaw’s office.

Hamm’s aide Erik Houser rode in the caravan along with Lycoming County Commissioners Scott Metzger, Marc Sortman and Mark Mussina.

Jeff Hutchins, director of the county Department of Public Safety, and Shannon Rossman, director of the county Department of Planning and Community Services, offered data points for the congressional representatives who wrote down notes as part of their research.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage in Trout Run. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The first stops demonstrated the force of what 9 inches of rain recorded at Steam Valley at the Turkey Ranch did to some houses near Williamsport in Lycoming and Hepburn townships.

The tour included a stop at the epicenter or worst of the damage, Trout Run, where the Route 14 bridge replacement has begun in Lewis Township and PennDOT opened a temporary road into the village.

“Route 14 is their I-95,” Metzger said, noting how important a route it is for the gas industry and for those traffic traveling from central Lycoming County to the Northern Tier counties and southern New York.

The representatives were told without the federal declaration and the funding many in the communities don’t have the financial means to rebuild.

In fact, Hamm said that Trout Run damage has been estimated to be close to $20 million, between $12 million in structural and not including $5 million for the bridge, he said.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage along Little Pine Creek. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“There are less than 200 people,” Hamm said. “There just aren’t the resources, so the federal declaration is huge.”

In that community, Trout Run Fire Chief Nick Smith described for the tour group how a large tree struck the fire station and how the community residents were evacuated by the fire company personnel to nearby Hepburn Township Volunteer Fire Department and how the station about 5 miles south served as a temporary shelter.

Ross also observed how there are “pockets” of damage throughout the county, including in Washington Township where culverts that were there are no longer.

Meanwhile, she added as part of discussing what occurs during floods, the county has stream gauges but it may have to look at a different form of gauge because many gauges are affected (give skewed readings) by the amount of debris in the water channel.

Hamm agreed and said what happens in Ralston and Trout Run impacts communities to the south such as Hepburn, Lycoming and Old Lycoming townships. “We watch their gauges,” he said.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage in Trout Run. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

In Trout Run, water marks are painted on the utility poles. Much of the community was under water and the closest gas station was 20 miles away, Metzger said.

The force of Trout Run, as a stream that flooded, could be seen along the road and a stop at Wyatt’s Repair, an auto garage with apartments on the upper level, showed the force of the water eroding the bank. The officials took a look at how water literally gouged out the banks, leaving at house rear section dangling over the edge with nothing but creek water beneath.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll returned to Trout Run to announce a temporary roadway is open to merge Route 14 with Lycoming Creek Road. The Route 14 bridge replacement continues as officials provide more access into and out of the village. The long-term roadway opens Tuesday, allowing traffic to flow between Routes 15 and 14 again, while avoiding the washed out bridge in front of Trout Run Volunteer Fire Company.

The four-way stop is designated no turn on red in all directions. Motorists must stop at the designated points in order to activate the lights.

Those on the tour drove by Main Street in Salladasburg and were told how Larrys Creek overflowed its banks causing damage to low-lying properties, many of which had water in their basements. Ross described how the flood impacted the nearby Jersey Shore Area Water and Sanitary Authority operations, requiring a water boil.

On the tour, along Route 287 north, there are pipe exposures and guide rails leaning that must be repaired.

At English Center, those on the tour were told how the Little Pine Creek overflowed and water cascaded across the road running along the creek, damaging cabins, homes and businesses.

The creek now has a sandbar where the water then flows in either direction, including up and over the bank and it must be addressed or the flooding will continue to take place, Hamm noted.

The tour ended at the partially washed out Carsontown bridge, which cut off traffic to and from Little Pine State Park and English Center.

In Tioga County, members of the Pennsylvania Incident Management Team, comprising state employees from various agencies who are trained and activated to respond to incidents, completed their mission to support county and municipal officials in recovery efforts.

“This cadre of specialists trained in disaster response and recovery operations oversaw a variety of operations on this deployment,” said PEMA Director Randy Padfield.

“Working with local elected officials and volunteer organizations, they truly made a difference in the lives of survivors in the immediate days following this incident,” he said.

The team helped manage and supervise the removal of over 1,300 tons of flood-generated household waste, such as water heaters, carpeting, furniture, drywall and other construction debris.

It also helped oversee intake, storage and distribution of donations that poured in from all over the state and New York.

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage in Trout Run. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Federal, state and local officials tour flooding damage in Trout Run. Recent heavy rains caused flooding and estimates of damage are in the millions. Officials are hoping the estimates of loss will meet the threashold Federal declaration for disaster relief. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette