Cash Assistance

·                                $ 500 cash Assistance available to flood victims. The county commissioners will host the Lebanon County Disaster Response Fund on Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 8AM-4PM.  You will be given a Damage Report Survey to complete.

Affordable Housing income limits apply. Up to $1 million will be awarded to assist up to 2,000 households with recovery efforts. Enter from the basement ramp at the parking lot, 400 S 8^th St., Lebanon. Bring ID, pictures, estimates or receipts. One check per household. Qualified applicants will leave with a check.

Income limits and Family Size are:                 

Maximum Income:  1 person, $45,400; 2 people $51,900; 3 people $58,400; 4 people $64,800; 5 people $70,000; 6 people $75,200; 7 people $80,000; 8 people $85,600.

If funds remain after Saturday, the Commissioners will resume the process on Monday in the Commissioners office from 8:30AM-4:30PM.

Destruction Summarized:

It may be hard to wrap your head around the devastation experienced by you and your neighbors.  So, here’s a summary prepared by our Emergency Management Agency who is doing a swell job.  Determined by the Disaster Report Survey Forms, so far, Lebanon County had 2,212 homes impacted by Lee.  56 homes were destroyed (foundations washed out, cracks, homes moved off of foundations) by tropical storm Lee; 1324 had major damage (water reached the 1^st floor); 557 minor damage (furnaces, hot water heaters, outlets covered the basement); 226 were affected (lost personal items like furniture, carpeting, Christmas wrap, food…); and 9 inaccessible.

·         North Annville had 11 mobile homes destroyed along the Swatara Creek in Waterworks Way and Towpath Road.

·         Annville had 13 homes destroyed along the Quittapahilla Creek.  38 homes had major damage, some around King Street.  175 had Minor damage.

·         Bethel Township had 34 homes with Major damage; 1 minor; and 1 affected.

·         In Cleona, around Wilshire Drive at the end of Lebanon City’s Dike, 43 homes had major damage; 40 had Minor damage; 38 and were affected.

·         Cornwall saw 20 homes with Major damage; 1 Minor; 5 affected; and 9 inaccessible.

·         East Hanover had 13 homes with Major damage around Valley Glen; and 2 affected.

·         Heidelberg had 1 Major and 1 Minor.

·         Jackson saw 46 Major.

·         Jonestown had 12 homes destroyed; 49 with Major damage; 29 with Minor damage.  This is the confluence of the Little Swatara and Swatara Creeks.

·         The City of Lebanon had 350 homes with Major damage; 249 with Minor damage; and 1 affected.

·         Millcreek had 2 Majors.

·         Myerstown had 5 homes destroyed along the Tulpehocken Creek; 57 with Major damage; 25 Minor damage; and 32 Affected.

·         North Annville (Waterworks and Tow Path) had 12 homes destroyed; and 56 with Major damage.

·         North Cornwall had 68 homes with Major damage; and 25 homes affected.

·         North Lebanon saw 1 home destroyed; 96 with Major damage; and 4 affected.

·         North Londonderry, 25 Major; 2 Minor.

·         Palmyra, 47 Major; 3 Minor.

·         Richland; 4 Major.

·         South Annville, 7 Major; 21 affected; and 1 mobile home destroyed.

·         South Lebanon, 141 Major; 4 Minor.

·         South Londonderry, 57 Major.

·         Swatara, 1 destroyed; 48 Major; and 1 Minor.

·         Union, 15 Major; 1 Minor; 4 affected.

·         West Cornwall 2 Major.

·         West Lebanon, 100 Major; 25 Minor; and 4 affected.

Bethel had 1 business destroyed.

Cornwall had 1 business with Major damage.

Lebanon has 1 business with Major; and 2 affected.

Myerstown had 1 business with Major damage.

Palmyra had 1 business with Major damage.

Total businesses = 1 destroyed; 4 Major; 2 Affected. 

People have told me that knowing what is going on and that they’re not alone is comforting. To that end, an overview of communications from the last few days during Hurricane Lee follows.

When your county commissioners, local municipal officials, or the governor declare a state of emergency, please stay home. Emergency crews need to get through. If you must go out, motorists are advised to avoid flooded or submerged roads and remember the slogan "turn around, don’t drown".　

Do NOT cross flooded bridges. They wash out, and you will put your life in danger as well as the lives of first responders or good Samaritans.

Do NOT attempt to canoe any streams in high water. The current is strong, and you could slam into a bridge that is flooding.

When the ground is saturated, trees may fall. Please be careful. Stay safe.

Community Resource Manual:

When you dial 911 (the public service answering point maintained by the County), a local fire company, police, or an ambulance may be dispatched to respond to help you. If you are instructed to go to a public building or report to a shelter, this guide may help you. In case your Internet goes down, download it to your computer. Print out the entire booklet or pages for your municipality and region.

Flood Gauges to Follow Water Depth and Flood Stages:

Water in the Basement:

If you are starting to get water in the basement, and don’t have a sump pump, consider shutting off the main electricity breaker to avoid a fire, but don’t stand in water to do this. If possible, elevate or remove valuable items.

Electricity Outages:

Sump Pumps and Generators:

During Lee, sump pumps and generators were in short supply. However, some people told me stories of using the same sump pump that was stored away from Hurricane Agnes in 1972. If you had water in your basement, you may want to invest in a sump pump. The same goes for a generator.

School Closings:

Water Authorities:

Thank you and God bless you for your patience, both with storm related issues and receiving email updates.

At Cedar Haven, we have a 20’ sinkhole in the parking lot, and numerous residents shared that they have sink holes in their yards.

Big sinkholes will require heavy equipment and expertise to repair. Small sinkholes may be able to be repaired with a hand shovel. Traditionally, you put large stones in first, then smaller stones topped by cat litter (The scientific term is Bentonite, an absorbent aluminum phyllosilicate, essentially impure clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite.)

Page 30 talks about sinkhole repair.

Garbage

As people clean up from Hurricane Lee, calls came in concerning waste disposal.

EMA Director Dan Kauffman and Chief Administrator Jamie Wolgemuth worked with Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority Director Mike Pavelek to get emergency permission from DEP to extend the hours at the landfill.  This was necessary so that the GLRA’s operations permit was not put into jeopardy.  Please note that by law, all waste generated in Lebanon County must be disposed of at the Greater Lebanon Landfill Authority. 

The lines at the landfill are long, and your patience is respectfully requested.  If additional hours are approved, you will be informed.

Recycle

The abundance of trash generated by Hurricane Lee is a burden on many people.  It costs money to dispose of trash.  I don’t know if this is an allowable expense for FEMA, but keep your receipts—just in case.

Also, metal can be recycled for cash, and would reduce your garbage disposal bill.  If you can’t take your metal to the recycler, and will donate it to someone who will haul for you, the cash they receive would help to cover their gas expenses.   If you are a reputable recycler willing to pick up metal, please advise.

I hope you find this outline helpful.  If there are topics not covered, please advise.  The list can be updated.

Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz
Lebanon PA
717-644-4698