The City of Scranton awarded a total of $408,092 directly to residents recovering from flooding in Keyser Valley and North Scranton one year ago, officials announced on Sept. 9, 2024. Response to flooding in September 2023 required a combination of federal and local resources, including a reallocation of nearly $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to new flood mitigation projects, to aid future flood prevention projects.
“It’s important to commemorate the one-year anniversary of last year’s catastrophic flood event,” Mayor Paige G. Cognetti said. “We acknowledge the trauma and loss that many residents experienced. We are grateful to our first responders who saved lives during the dangerous, chaotic overnight hours. The City is committed to doing all we can to protect residents and property from severe weather events. We continue to work toward recovery from last year’s storm and invest in stormwater projects in flood-prone areas throughout Scranton.”
Scranton’s response to the aggressive system of thunderstorms that caused heavily localized flooding in Keyser Valley and North Scranton on the evening of Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, was immediate and continues today. In the year since the flood, the City:
- immediately issued an emergency disaster declaration;
- hosted outreach events to connect residents to recovery resources and report damage;
- waived permit fees for impacted homeowners and renters;
- coordinated the donation of food and gift certificates from Scranton small businesses;
- offered critical vaccinations through Scranton Primary Health Care Center;
- collaborated with as many as 19 different vendors in various recovery efforts;
- implemented a disaster recovery program using revised ARPA rules and regulations, issuing $379,891 in individual recovery funds to 90 residents and another $28,201 in emergency housing relief funds to those who were not immediately able to return home;
- allocated more than $1.7 million in ARPA funds to new flood mitigation efforts to complement more than $17.4 million in previously approved stormwater management and porous paving ARPA projects; and
- cleared the first round of review for $2,717,213 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program to acquire and demolish 18 substantially damaged homes and three vacant lots, as well as a second BRIC grant for $75,001 to update building codes related to flood and other hazardous events to protect buildings throughout Scranton.
These efforts and more mark significant improvement in the City’s ability to respond to natural disasters and obtain additional recovery funds. For example, officials had previously asked FEMA for a buyout of multiple flood-prone homes on North Merrifield Avenue in 2021, but that application was unsuccessful.
While recovery and mitigation projects in Keyser Valley and North Scranton hold particular priority because of the September 2023 flood, the City is maintaining progress on multiple other stormwater projects, including:
- the development of a regional stormwater authority with partner municipalities including Clarks Summit, Dickson City, Dunmore, Moosic, Old Forge, Scranton, South Abington Township, and Taylor;
- East Mountain neighborhood projects totaling an estimated $3.6 million, funded by ARPA;
- Minooka and West Scranton projects totaling $2.9 million, funded by ARPA;
- North Scranton projects totaling $1.6 million, funded by ARPA; and
- Tripp Park projects totaling $1.8 million, funded by ARPA.
ABOUT THE CITY OF SCRANTON: Incorporated in 1866, the City of Scranton has a population of approximately 80,000 residents and is the sixth-largest municipality in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Scranton City Hall is located at 340 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, PA 18503. Residents requiring services should visit www.scrantonpa.gov.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021: ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal economic stimulus bill. The City of Scranton received $68.7 million in ARPA funds to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. Scranton’s ARPA program mission is to give people access to resources, rebuild the infrastructure systems that impact their everyday lives, and foster equitable wealth generation that targets the needs of Scranton residents.
Scranton Recognizes Anniversary of September 2023 Flood with Project Update | Press Release
Last modified: September 9, 2024
