DUBOIS – During last night’s meeting, the Sandy Township Supervisors discussed the torrential flooding that occurred during Thursday’s storm.
“Many, many people have invested many hours and will have to invest many more before the township is back to normal,” said Township Manager Dick Castonguay. He said cleanup efforts will continue, before they have an official assessment of the flood damage.
He said any resident who lost utilities due to the flooding must have their home inspected before having the utilities restored. He said approximately 270-280 homes have already been inspected between Sandy Township and DuBois City.
Additionally he said 25 roadways sustained damage beyond minor maintenance. In fact, he said Clear Run Road was so heavily damaged that the township still has a detour around it.
Castonguay said four township firefighters suffered injuries, such as scrapes, while in the flood waters. These firefighters were sent for tetanus shots as a safety precaution.
He said the township’s boat responded to 31 water rescues for a total of 62 people. He said Curwensville’s boat responded to the flooding and had 18 water rescues for a total of 53 people.
Castonguay noted during emergency events, people rely upon cellular phones as a common tool. However, he said the storm and increased cellular phone usage reduced the effectiveness of cellular phones. Castonguay said township emergency personnel also had issues with their radio communications.