HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— A local community is battered but recovering after experiencing major flooding earlier this week.
Residents we spoke with say it's the worst they've seen in decades, and a Pennsylvania congressman got to see it first hand.
28/22 News captured the worst of the storm damage in front of St. John the Evangelist Church in Honesdale.
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You can see what used to be a concrete walkway, completely collapsed into the ground. While the damage is severe, the local, state, and federal government are working together for a solution.
Four inches of rain in four hours. The flash flood Tuesday afternoon in Honesdale led to property damage, impassable roadways, and people being displaced from their homes.
St. John the Evangelist Church was hit particularly hard.
An aging storm drainage system running alongside the building burst and caved in, causing parts of the church's walkway and the road running alongside it to give out.
Congressman Rob Bresnahan (R) met with borough officials Thursday afternoon to assess the damage and help work towards a solution.
"We have to look and see what we actually have here. What needs to be fixed, what went wrong, how it went wrong. We have to look forward to make sure that the residents of Honesdale are secure," emphasized Rep. Bresnahan.
Borough officials say work will be done through Friday, filling in the area with gravel and rocks to prevent more damage.
Coincidentally, a pre-planned FEMA study is being conducted Friday to assess the borough's aging storm water system.
FEMA has come under fire from the Trump administration recently questioning its effectiveness, but Bresnahan, a Republican, believes the agency is still useful in situations like this.
"I've certainly seen the benefits and the positive outcomes of working with FEMA. We actually have some hearings scheduled over the next few weeks to get a better understanding of the direction of FEMA and which way it's heading. But ultimately we need to be in the position to provide for our local communities," explained Rep. Bresnahan.
Leonard Schwartz, Honesdale resident, and owner of the Wayne Inn across from the church says the flooding caused some minor damage to his business. While nothing severe, he says the pipe issue has been known for a long time.
"They knew about it for 20 years and didn't do anything," stated Schwartz.
"So this has been an issue for a while," asked reporter Avery Nape.
"Yeah it's been an issue, but the issue was very minor until this week when we had the massive rainfall," said Schwartz.
Now, the borough says they will be working Thursday into Friday by filling a caved in sidewalk in with gravel and rocks.
With more rain in the forecast, these measures may be crucial to mitigating future damage.
They also say they have plans in place for the future of the stormwater system here in Honesdale.
