[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9576]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          ELK COUNTY FLOODING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in May, the citizens of 
Ridgway, Elk County, Pennsylvania, experienced a devastating flood. I 
rise today to express my sincere appreciation to the first responders, 
the borough employees, and the Ridgway citizens who came to the aid of 
their neighbors.
  On Friday, May 23, following the flood and upon my return from 
Washington to the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, I was 
in Ridgway for a briefing by borough manager, Colonel Kim Zimmerman. 
Our mission was to analyze the scope of the damage, coordinate all 
levels of government, and determine the best and most efficient path 
forward to bring relief to those in need.
  The colonel, his staff, and the fire department did an outstanding 
job considering that the Clarion River rose from the normal 3 feet 
level to greater than 21 feet in a few hours. Despite record flooding, 
there was no loss of life and no injuries. This fact is remarkable 
given that 100 citizens had to be evacuated by boat and a total of 500, 
including land evacuation.
  I returned to Ridgway the next day to walk the streets to talk with 
residents and offer my support to the residents and businesses dealing 
with losses and damages caused by this devastating flooding.
  During my 2 days on the scene, I witnessed heroes in action: fire 
department volunteers who had been on the job almost 48 hours with 
little or no sleep; borough employees who refused to be sent home after 
multiple shifts; neighbors who took time from their own cleanups to 
assist their neighbors; and church organizations that traveled from 
surrounding counties to help the community begin to put the pieces back 
together.
  Mr. Speaker, the actions that I observed those days in Ridgway is one 
of the many reasons that I am proud to call this area my home, and I am 
proud to represent the Pennsylvania Fifth District.
  I want to thank Governor Tom Corbett for his immediate presence and 
the work of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, along with 
the visit by Lieutenant Governor Cawley.
  Now, based on the joint county, municipal, and State recommendations, 
Governor Corbett made a disaster declaration on May 29 and also 
requested loan and grant assistance from the Small Business 
Administration. Fortunately, the disaster designation was granted, and 
I offer the commitment from my offices and staff to assist businesses 
and homeowners who have been affected the resources to assist with 
their claims.

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