First it was floodwaters in September brought on by rains from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that inundated the Brandywine Creek.
Now, it's fire and smoke that have caused damage for a second time to a row of homes on East 13th Street in Northeast Wilmington.
Wilmington firefighters were called out just after 7:30 on Sunday night, February 6, 2022, for a reported fire in the area of 13th and Thatcher streets.
Upon arrival they found fire coming from the first floor of a two-story, middle-of-the-row dwelling.
While searching the fire building, and exposure units, firefighters discovered some of the floors and walls were missing.
The homes were being renovated as a result of September's flooding.
Although the flames were contained to the original dwelling, the void spaces created by the missing parts of the structure allowed smoke to filter through several other residences, damaging a total of five.
A firefighter suffered a minor burn injury and was taken to the hospital where they were treated and released.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Wilmington Fire Marshal's Office.
Homeowners and renters in New Castle County that suffered damage from September's remnants of Tropical Storm Ida have until December 17 to apply federal loan assistance.
New Castle County did not receive a disaster declaration from FEMA or the Small Business Administration despite extensive damage along the record-swollen Brandywine Creek that flooded out a large section of rowhomes in Northeast Wilmington, along with some damage to apartments upstream from Brandywine Park.
FEMA Presidential Disasters were declared in the bordering counties of Gloucester in New Jersey, Chester and Delaware in Pennsylvania, and a SBA Administrative Declaration was issued for Cecil in Maryland.
Being a connected county to a FEMA declaration allows New Castle County small businesses and non-profits to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan that would be valued at the assessed amount of damage or $2 million, whichever is lower.
The fact Delaware was not declared a FEMA disaster zone by President Biden means that homeowners and renters could not take advantage of FEMA grants that would have covered essential needs to bring houses back up to code, or to live in apartment while repairs are being made.
City of Wilmington Emergency Management Officer Willie Patrick told Wilmington City Council this week that after meeting with the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, he believed there were reasons Delaware's application for grant-level aid was rejected.
"The scope of the disaster was in a small, concentrated area, the extent of the damage, the home ownership-to-rental ratio, and the amount of uninsured loss."
Patrick said they are working with DEMA and the Governor's Office, who has to ultimately make the FEMA request, to bolster New Castle County's case for a delayed declaration.
"We are going to do a virtual damage assessment and hopefully include some areas or properties that were not included in the original declaration. We will see if that's enough to change the mind of [FEMA] Region 3."
A FEMA declaration would have allowed for federal grants to be issued, but when they declined Delaware's offer, it is the Small Business Administration that handles disaster loans for homeowners, despite the name of the group.
Disaster loans are available for up to $200,000 for homeowners to repair or replace their properties, while homeowners and renters can borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged property from the storm.
In addition, applicants can also ask for an increase of up to 20% of their physical damages to cover mitigation strategies.
Mary Cook with SBA had suggestions for what others have done with the mitigation loans, which she said can return 6-times the investment if a disaster repeats.
"You can seal the roof deck, elevate the structure, put a sump pump in, relocate out of a flood plane, or landscape your property to improve runoff."
Interest rates for the homeowners/renters disaster loans are as low as 1.563%, with private nonprofits being able to get a 2% rate, and other businesses at 2.855%.
"We're different than regular lenders in that the interest rate remains for the life of the loan. As long as SBA has it, the interest rate will not change. We can stretch the payments as long as 30 years to help make the payments affordable."
New Castle County residents looking to take advantage of the disaster loans will need to hurry, as the deadline for applying for a loan for physical damages is December 17, 2021.
You can apply online at the SBA's website, and should apply under SBA declaration 17229/17230, both connected to Cecil County's disaster declaration.
Biden did approve New Castle County as a Disaster area for private, non-profits from Ida.
Those entities, including food kitchens, homeless shelters, and community centers, can apply for a loan equal to the damages, up to $2 million.
To apply for Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Assistance, businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters should click here or contact the SBA Customer Service Center at Phone: 1.800.659.2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
President Joe Biden has approved Delaware's Disaster Declaration after New Castle County experienced severe flooding due to remnants of Hurricane Idea in early September.
The approval means federal funding is now available to state and local governments as well as certain non-profit organizations that aided in disaster recovery efforts, performed emergency work or repairs, or replaced portions of damaged facilities.
"We are grateful that the request to aid affected governments and nonprofits, was approved and are hopeful that FEMA will be able to provide support directly to our residents who are still struggling to recover from this historic event," said A.J. Schall, Director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
Parts of New Castle County saw devastating flooding on September 1st and 2nd, forcing the Wilmington Fire Department to conduct 200 rescues. The swelling of the Brandywine Creek also inundated a condominium complex at Rockland along with neighborhoods along Northeast Boulevard in Wilmington.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Gov. Carney requested the disaster declaration on September 18, after Pennsylvania's had already been approved on Sept. 11. Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties sustained serious damage, including from tornadoes
To submit eligible projects, state and local government agencies and eligible nonprofits should register by clicking here, or to learn more by contacting Joshua Kelly at Joshua.Kelly@delaware.gov.
To apply for Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Assistance, businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters should click here or contact the SBA Customer Service Center at Phone: 1.800.659.2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
A popular walking bridge in Alapocas Run State Park has been shuttered indefinitely.
The Bancroft Bridge sustained extensive damage from flooding from remnants of Hurricane Ida and may need to be replaced entirely, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources said Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.
DNREC teams first inspected the bridge immediately after the storm subsided on September 2 and closed it at that time.
This week, a structural engineer confirmed significant damage to the lower portion of the bridge, where debris from floodwaters damaged it. The engineer found the bridge had bowed and shifted on its support beams and the foundation had cracked.
While the severity of the damage is still being assessed, DNREC said the bridge could need to be demolished and a new one might have to be built.
There's no timeframe on when the bridge will reopen or be rebuilt or how much that might cost.
It's been three weeks since the remnants of Hurricane Ida created a historic flood of Northeast Wilmington that still has hundreds of residents out of their homes, and looking for answers.
The Claymont Street Apartments are more than six blocks away from the Brandywine Creek, but when it crested at over 23 ft. on September 2, 2021, it still damaged several units.
One of them is rented by Tamika Michel and her 4-year-old son, who can't even get into the apartments to get whatever of their belongings weren't destroyed by the water.
"My apartment actually got flooded, so I have absolutely nothing, I lost everything. There's no help, there's no guidance, there's no resources, there's no nothing. They are basically telling us we have a couple of days, give us back our keys, and then get away from us."
Michael said making matters worse, as the end of September looms, and temporary housing arrangement at hotels supplied by the landlords will go away, she doesn't know what's next.
There's no housing availability. Nobody can bump us to the top of any list for any time of housing vouchers. I'm all over the place right now trying to figure out where me and my son will be living in the next five days. At this point, we have no family here, and we have no friends here. So I don't know what my options are. Nobody is giving me any type of resources, nobody is giving me any type of help. They're just like 'find yourself a shelter and move along with your life."
A big piece missing in her life is food, and that's where a phone call from a stranger came at the right time.
"I just received a phone call from this lady named Stacey," Michael said while laughing. "She was just letting us know that she heard about everything that was going on, and she wanted to provide us with meals every day. So every day we've been down here, and we appreciate that somebody cares."
That lady is Stacey Henry, who has spearheaded a volunteer movement to help make sure residents of the Claymont Street Apartments and others affected by the flooding can be sure they have at least one warm meal each day.
"It just warms my heart because I think it could be me, or my family, that are suffering through this. When people call and say 'what can I do?' and I tell them what I'm doing, they don't think twice. Each day I get a call that encourages me to keep going and working with these families, because they need it."
Henry said she was inspired when she went down on September 2 to the affected area, and saw a family coming out of the apartment building.
"I saw everyone was sitting around with this look on their faces, and came to find out a lot of the people who were here didn't have money for food. They had exhausted what monies they had, some didn't have transportation. I asked 'what do you do for food, how do you eat?', and a couple of people said 'we don't."
Wednesday night that food was served at the Fairfield Inn and Suites near Minquidale.
Mira Price, who lived in the apartments for 10 years, was there, and said she was 'grateful' one less cost and worry was off her proverbial plate.
"Buying it every single day, and we don't really have reliable transportation, so it really takes a big thing of stress off of me."
Michel said saving the food cost is especially critical for those who lost almost everything.
"Some of us don't have the money right now, especially since we have to save to try to find a place, because we don't even know if we're going to get our security deposits back. Just to have that comfort to have food every day without it to worry about it coming out of your own pocket, or where you're going to get it from."
She said Wilmington and the Governor's Office have bounced back and forth saying they will help. but Delaware is still waiting to hear back on a $3 million request for federal aid.
The city is not helping us with anything, the state is not really not helping us with anything, they always tell us to refer back to our landlord or owner of the property and they have nothing for us, the city is doing nothing for us."
Michel said time is running out, and while warm meals and the care from volunteers are appreciated, there's a bigger issue looming in about a week.
"We all need help. After the 30th, we're all homeless. I went from paying my rent every month with no problem, to being completely homeless and having to start my life over, because no one wants to help us. This is very sickening, this is very disgusting, and just because we're not home owners, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't get any type of help, or any type of reliable resources."
Henry said she will continue to recruit volunteers to help the Ida victims, because as she began to break down the set-up Wednesday night, she had a smile on her face.
"It just warms my heart because I think it could be me, or my family, that are suffering through this. When people call and say 'what can I do?' and I tell them what I'm doing, they don't think twice. Each day I get a call that encourages me to keep going and working with these families, because they need it."
Henry estimated she has helped over 300 families and served meals to at least 1,200 different people since the hurricane flood.
Governor Carney has asked President Biden for a Major Disaster Declaration to help Delaware residents and business owners affected by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Carney sent a letter to Biden Friday asking for federal funds and other assistance to help Delawareans in need of things like home repair, emergency shelter and food.
Carney said the scope of the damage caused when what was left of Ida hit the area September first has overwhelmed state and local agencies.
Ida, which had weakened to the point where it was a tropical storm by the time it hit here, was still powerful enough to cause flooding that damaged homes, businesses and cars on Wilmington's East Side, and in parts of Talleyville and Edgemoor.
Wilmington is still recovering from Hurricane Ida, weeks after the city saw devastating flooding.
"There's still a lot to be done, but you know what, it looks a lot better than it did...when we had five foot of water in that neighborhood and people were taken out in boats," Wilmington Emergency Management Director Willie Patrick told city council at a recent Public Safety Committee meeting.
Patrick said the magnitude of flooding caused by remnants of Hurricane Ida in Wilmington was far beyond the city's scope causing the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, the Delaware Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (DEVOAD), and other agencies to step in and assist.
The latest efforts have been concentrated on trying to get homeowners' homes in conditions that make them inhabitable again. As many as 275 properly owners, both residential and commercial, were affected by flooding.
While Delmarva Power has played a pivotal role in getting the lights back on for customers, about half of the affected properties are still experiencing plumbing, electric, and gas issues. Patrick said they're in need skilled laborers willing to dedicate their time.
"Electricians who want to donate their time because there's a lot of some of the older homeowners who need electrical panels. The process of getting electricity turned back on is first of all if your box was under water, you need a new box," he said. "Skilled workers, plumbers, electricians, even carpenters who might want to donate their time, there's definitely a need there."
Patrick also noted a need for financial assistance and said both United Way of Delaware and REACH Riverside were setting up funds.
"As far as non-perishable food--they're good. REACH Riverside has indicated: 'please don't send anymore food'--their food pantry is full. But there is a need for clothing," he said.
Any residents who still need assistance with muck-outs, tear-outs, or water removal can call the city's Crisis Cleanup Hotline at 1.844.965.1386. The hotline will remain open with extended hours through Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
Residents can be connected with local volunteer groups that may assist with:
- Cutting fallen trees
- Removing drywall, flooring and appliances
- Tarping roofs
- Mold mitigation
The city is also providing funding to homeowners who are still experiencing problems with certain essential services, including:
- Plumbing/mechanical work for the restoration of gas service
- Electrical inspections
- Damage to HVAC systems, hot water heaters, and electrical panels
These homeowners must contact the city by calling the 311 service line to make arrangements for needed funding.
Wilmington is still awaiting disaster relief approval from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"It's going to be a process before we get notified of approval of a disaster declaration for the area," cautioned Patrick.
The oldest covered bridge in Delaware remains closed due to damage incurred from floating debris as a result of flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Tree debris slammed into the side of Ashland Covered Bridge causing damage to the covered portion of the span.
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) officials said the load bearing deck was not damaged.
The span will undergo temporary repairs which will likely keep it closed through most of September.
Permanent repairs requiring a lengthier closure will be planned for the future.
DelDOT does not yet have an estimate of how much repairs will cost.
The Ashland Bridge dates back to 1860.
President Biden has declared a major disaster in Pennsylvania due to heavy rains, severe flash flooding and tornadoes in the commonwealth from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Biden approved a request from Gov. Tom Wolf for a major disaster declaration allowing assistance to individuals for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties, the White House said Friday night.
“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the announcement said.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire commonwealth, which the Pennsylvania governor had also requested. Damage assessments continue and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be added after they are completed.
Wolf on Aug. 31 signed a proclamation of disaster emergency allowing state agencies to ready resources and respond more quickly to requests for state assistance. He said earlier in the week that damage to public infrastructure was estimated at $117 million “which far exceeds the commonwealth’s threshold of $19.7 million.”
“Pennsylvanians will now have opportunities to receive financial assistance, which will go a long way toward replacing and restoring their property," Wolf said in a statement Friday night.
State and federal emergency management agencies as well as county governments will be working in coming days to open disaster recovery centers in impacted communities, the governor said.
"We want to help people. We don't do this for the recognition or the credit. People need help. You go get them. That's what we're there for. We're there to get them out and get them to safety."
Bobby Maxwell is Coordinator for New Castle County's Surface Water Rescue Team (SWRT), a unit made up of over 60 certified technicians who are members of local volunteer fire companies.
Starting Wednesday evening, September 1, 2021, and lasting for about 18 hours, teams of surface water rescue crews and marine units from New Castle County traversed across parts of Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, back to New Castle County, and eventually into the City of Wilmington, rescuing dozens of people from cars and buildings stranded in high water.
Maxwell, and Dave Carpenter, Jr., New Castle County's Emergency Management Coordinator, had worked earlier in the day to make sure the unit was prepared for the eventuality of being called out with predictions of heavy rains, flash flooding, and storms from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
Initially, a group of 17 volunteers split into two teams headed to Pennsylvania where Maxwell said they faced heavy rain and flooded roadways, making it difficult to get from call to call.
"We probably made about eight calls," said Maxell. "It doesn't seem like a lot but it took us a long time to navigate the areas, to get around the roads that were flooded. So each call we were going to it was probably a half hour, 45 minutes just to get to it."
It was the middle of the night before most of the technicians returned home, only to have the SWRT activated again around 6 a.m. for the Rockland Mills condominium complex alongside the Brandywine Creek.
Talleyville firefighters arrived at the complex to find the Brandywine out of its banks and starting to fill the parking lot.
Carpenter said some residents sheltered in place and others were evacuated with the assistance of the SWRT members and local marine units.
The Brandywine Creek was expected to crest just below its major flood level of 19 feet. It crested around 8 a.m. four feet above that.
And the Brandywine wasn't done, pushing a wall of water into the City of Wilmington and flooding areas along 12th Street and Northeast Boulevard.
By then, Maxwell had started his job as a Wilmington firefighter with Squad 4 and their first call was for a water rescue.
"Northeast Boulevard down [12th Street] towards the prison was already flooded," said Maxwell. "We staged our apparatus, blew up our raft, and from that point on there was people standing in the water and we were putting them in our boat and taking them to our staging area. Every time we went back there was somebody calling for help."
The county SWRT was called in again to assist the Wilmington Fire Department, along with marine units not just from New Castle County, but eventually Kent County as well, including an air boat from South Bowers Fire Company.
Maxwell said not only is the high water itself a danger, but what lurks within the floodwaters can be just as bad, if not worse.
"That's one of the biggest dangers of it, and we experienced it on every call we went on in each geographic area we went to," said Maxwell. "Once the water gets a certain level and everything comes from a river, comes from people's back yards and comes from their front yards, you name it, there's something coming down the street that you're on.
"It could be a log, a car, a trash can, gasoline. There's all kind of contaminants in there," he added. "We have protective suits that keep us protected from any contaminants but the unknowns that you can't see that's underneath or what's floating on top you've got to try and avoid."
There were no reported injuries among first responders during the water rescues.
"There was a lot of debris and stuff that was really hazardous to us that we avoided."
Maxwell said the emotions of those who were rescued ran the gamut.
"We had very happy people that were glad to see us and some still had a sense of humor. They were making us laugh, we were making them laugh."
It's estimated about 200 people were safely evacuated in Wilmington.
Following up on a disaster relief event hosted in Wilmington Tuesday, state and local officials announced two flood assistance programs to help Delaware residents impacted by the devastation left in the wake of the remnants of Hurricane Ida moving through.
The Delaware Emergency Management Agency, through the Milford Housing Development Corporation, will be providing services through the Flood Cleanup Assistance Program, while the city of Wilmington has announced the toll-free Crisis Cleanup Hotline.
"Homeowners and renters along the Brandywine have faced significant challenges from the flooding last week, and that’s why we are all working to connect them with resources and help them through this difficult recovery process,” said Carney in a release. “We’re grateful for the local, state, and community partners across Delaware who are helping our neighbors in Wilmington, and for standing up these important resources that will help residents with cleanup efforts in the affected areas.”
DEMA's program, funded through the Emergency Management Resilience Fund, will provide services like mucking, removal of damaged drywall, moisture control of affected areas, minor structural repairs, and insurance premium assistance.
Eligibility for this program is dependent on those living in single households earning less than $52,000 annually, with a higher limit for families. Individuals need to show proof of residency along "the East side of Northeast Boulevard to 17th Street, from 17th to Bowers, from Bowers to E. 12th Street, from E. 12th Street to Pullman and from Pullman to Northeast Boulevard."
To contact the Flood Cleanup Assistance Program, call 1.844.413.0038.
In Wilmington, the Crisis Cleanup Hotline will assist with the cutting of fallen trees, removal of drywall, flooring, and appliances, roof tarping, and mold mitigation. All services will be provided via volunteers through a partnership with the Delaware Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster.
"It’s a difficult task to pull lives and properties back together again following natural and unexpected disasters," said Purzycki. "The past several days have tested the ability of the community and government to come together as quickly as possible to assist affected residents and businesses. We have a great deal of work to do, but the city and state are committed to the tasks and challenges ahead."
The Crisis Cleanup Hotline can be reached at 1.844.965.1386.
Pharmacy customers of Walgreens were left scrambling over the Labor Day weekend due to a systems outage brought on by flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) said they were asked by Walgreens to convey the message that most Delaware locations were unable to process prescriptions because the vendor that manages internet, phone, and servers for the stores was impacted by flooding.
That message was posted Saturday afternoon, September 4, 2021, two days after flooding spread across the Delaware Valley due to Ida's heavy rains.
It's unknown the exact number or locations of Walgreens stores affected, or the number of customers whose prescriptions have gone unfilled. At least one Walgreens in southern Chester County was also affected.
Walgreens has not responded to WDEL's request for information about the extent of the outage, how many customers may have been affected, and when the problem will be resolved.
In calls to customer service, prescription holders were told to contact a pharmacist at a different location than the one they normally pick up their medicine.
Not only were customers unable to get their prescriptions, but at least one medical provider WDEL spoke with said their scripts weren't going through to Walgreens' system either.
DPH issued a notice on their Facebook page on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, that all Walgreens COVID-19 testing sites were closed for the day due to the company's technological complications.
If you're a Wilmington resident or business owner who's still without gas or electrical service due to the remnants of Ida, help is available courtesy of the city and its partner agencies.
More than 250 homes and businesses in the city lost power when what was left of Ida after its rampage through the Gulf hit our area Wednesday.
Mayor Mike Purzycki's office has announced the Governor's office, Delaware Health and Social Services, Delaware Emergency Management Agency and other partners will open a disaster reception center for those affected by Ida Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Warehouse at 1121 Thatcher Street--bring ID, proof of residency and income, and insurance documents with you.
Anyone who needs transportation to the center can catch a bus every half hour between 8:30 and 4:30--buses will travel along Heald and Claymont Streets, stopping at 13th and 15th for pickups--bus riders will have to wear masks.
If you can't get to the bus, you should call 302.576.3914.
The City of Wilmington has set up a Crisis Clean Hotline, 844.965.1386, for anyone needing a home or business cleanup-- if your home is unsafe, call 302.571.4900, if you need new housing, call 1.877.428.8844 or go to delawarehousingsearch.com, and if you need emergency service, call 911.
If you're a Wilmington resident or business owner who's still without gas or electrical service due to the remnants of Ida, help is available courtesy of the city and its partner agencies.
More than 250 homes and businesses in the city lost power when what was left of Ida after its rampage through the Gulf hit our area Wednesday.
Mayor Mike Purzycki's office has announced the Governor's office, Delaware Health and Social Services, Delaware Emergency Management Agency and other partners will open a disaster reception center for those affected by Ida Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Warehouse at 1121 Thatcher Street.
In addition, there's a call center open through Monday to provide emergency assistance.
For more information, you can call 302.571.4900, and if you need emergency assistance, call 911.
Wilmington residents hit hard by Hurricane Ida's remnants can get emergency shelter and other necessities by using a call center that's open days throughout the holiday weekend.
Residents in need of shelter, food, clothing and the like can call 571.4900 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Labor Day to avail themselves of resources made available by the city and Delaware's Department of Health and Social Services.
Anyone who needs emergency help should call 911.
200 people had been rescued by the Wilmington Fire Department and its partner agencies since what was left of Ida hit the area Wednesday, Mayor Mike Purzycki's office announced Saturday.
The floodwaters of Brandywine Creek were swollen to record levels by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, and now that those waters have receded the cleanup across New Castle County is continuing.
Among the damage: numerous vehicles that were either driven into high water, or the floodwater found its way into the vehicles.
Now what?
According to Triple-A Mid-Atlantic spokesman Ken Grant the first thing NOT to do is try and start the vehicle.
"The engine compartment under water in a parked car takes on the water and just trying to start it could end up causing more engine damage," said Grant.
"Your first thing to do is call your insurance company. Have them come out and assess whether or not the vehicle has been flooded above the floor level, and whether at that point it's even worth taking to a repair facility or the car may need to be scrapped at that point," said Grant.
"If it does look like it can be repaired call your repair facility to see what they're looking at," said Grant, because they might be inundated with other vehicles in the same condition.
The problems the water could cause are many said Grant.
"You could see the flooding affect your engine, your transmission or brake rotors, cause loss of power steering, cause shorts in the electrical components."
"One of the things with our modern cars with so many conveniences they're all electronic based, and so having that floodwater reach above the floor level can cause some major damage to the entire system," said Grant.
Meanwhile, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) completed inspections of all of the bridges that cross the Brandywine Creek in Brandywine Valley Friday morning, September 3, 2021.
The Brandywine surged out of its banks cresting at over 23 feet, and inundated many of the roadways in the area.
DelDOT says the Ashland Covered Bridge on Barley Mill Road will remain closed pending further assessment of damage the bridge sustained.
Throughout the remnants of Ida moving past Delaware, and amid the historic flooding created along the shores of all of Delaware's waterways--particularly the Brandywine--Wilmington's first responders conducted more than 200 rescues, officials detailed Thursday afternoon while surveying damage in the city.
"For the city of Wilmington, we've had over 200 residents that we did evacuate. Of those 200, seven [had] just minor emergencies that were transported to the area hospitals. Other than that, no other serious injuries or deaths reported here in the city," said Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney. "We were prepared. Two hundred water rescues; that was 200 removed from homes, removed off the street. We had many residents just walking into high water, so we were retrieving them with all our marine assets, inflatable boats. And then, once the National Guard got in here, then we just started sweeping every street."
As he toured the impacted areas of the city, Gov. John Carney praised the work of all the agencies assisting citizens throughout the episode.
"Our folks from DelDOT are here to assess potential damage to bridges mostly. And I guess all the bridges, all the way up through to Pennsylvania, are shut down and need to be assessed," Carney said Thursday afternoon. "They've made an assessment on the Market Street Bridge, which is determined to be okay."
That work is set to take a significant chunk of time, said DelDOT Community Relations Director CR McLeod. He said travel disruptions would take place well into Friday morning, with the possibility some areas of travel would be restricted through the weekend.
"Really, the focus now becomes, we want to get our roads and bridge structures reopened as quickly as possible, and that's what we're going to be doing for as long as it takes," McLeod said. "We'll be working to get those evaluated as quickly as possible. A lot of them have debris and mud that'll have built up, so we'll actually have to get sweepers out and sometimes front end loaders to clear that debris and make the roads passable. So, there's definitely a couple days of work ahead of us before we return to normal."
Carney also noted during his stop in Wilmington he'd heard from Delaware's own President Joe Biden, so while praising the communication between state, county, and local agencies throughout Ida dumping upwards of five inches of rain in some communities in just a few hours, he also said he was thankful for the offer of federal support.
"I did get a call from President Biden offering whatever support that they could provide," Carney said. "I assured him that we have a great relationship with FEMA, and we get great support from them, and our federal partners as well."
Many were just thankful that, while the outcome for property damage was unprecedented, the most valuable and unreplaceable contents within were spared.
"At least, as of now, not having any loss of life is a huge relief obviously," McLeod said. "Property damage is impactful and is something that can be a huge burden on folks. But the fact that no one lost their life across Delaware, when we've seen what this storm could do, in other states that unfortunately, there were fatalities associated with this storm, that's a huge relief, first and foremost."
The last of Ida may have moved beyond Delaware, but increasing issues remained Thursday following a storm that brought down inches of rain in just a few hours.
Following a condominium complex which needed to be evacuated in Wilmington early Thursday as the Brandywine had swelled to 23.14 feet by 9:15 a.m. A major flood stage is 19 feet. There were disruptions elsewhere as well.
Amtrak service from Philadelphia to Boston before 9 a.m. was canceled or modified--including Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone, and Empire services--to give crews time to inspect and repair any issues found with rail infrastructure. Delaware Park also canceled the live racing card for the day, and was scheduled to resume Saturday, September 4, 2021.
"The good news is the storm system has moved out. We've got blue skies, very nice weather," said DelDOT Community Relations Director CR McLeod in a shared morning update. "Unfortunately, we are seeing major flooding here in Wilmington, and at points all along the Brandywine, here in New Castle county this morning."
Waterways throughout the region began expanding as water dumped from Ida flowed in, and McLeod, who was surveying flooding in the area of Northeast Boulevard and Vancouver Avenue, anticipated things would progress negatively before the issues started to resolve.
While towns and neighborhoods in Pennsylvania and New Jersey suffered perhaps the brunt of this area's Ida damage, McLeod expected Delaware would see more of the flooding as watered traveled down. More than 50 bridges, large and small, would need to ultimately be surveyed and assessed, he said.
"We've already got several feet of water impacting homes, residents, and their businesses. A lot of vehicles underwater. And the water just continues to rise at this time," he said Thursday morning. "Unfortunately, we expect flooding just to continue to worsen here through the first part of the day, as a result of the flooding that has actually taken place. A lot of this water is coming down from Pennsylvania with the excessive amounts of rain that they had associated with the storm yesterday. All that water is going to make its way down toward the Delaware River, and it's all coming down the Brandywine."
Traffic was being turned away at the 12th Street Bridge by Wilmington Police during the morning hours due to dangerous conditions. Smith Bridge and Thompson Bridge were also both closed. The 12th Street ramp off 495 was also closed.
"We've just got major, major flooding underway here in Wilmington as a result of the storms [Wednesday] and again, encouraging folks, if you are going to be trying to travel around this area that you need to be very cautious as you're as you're trying to move around the city," McLeod said. "A lot of delays as a result of this flooding that will continue through the morning hours."
The National Weather Service Mount Holly issued 16 tornado warnings for the area on Wednesday, bringing the total number to 51 on the year--easily breaking the previous record of 36 that was set last year. Four had been confirmed so far, including a particularly destructive tornado in Mullica Hill, New Jersey, that tore siding and, in some cases, whole walls off homes there.
As the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved past Delaware Wednesday night, roads were flooded and covered in debris throughout the state, but it was likely spared the worst of the storm as tornadoes tore across communities in neighboring states.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey experienced the brunt of the storm, where reports of tornadoes were made in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and Washington Crossing and Woodbury, New Jersey, along with a fourth in Burlington County, New Jersey. Mullica Hill, New Jersey, suffered significant damage in particular, as videos poured in from residents there showing houses stripped of siding or even whole walls.
DelDOT Community Relations Director CR McLeod posted an update from Smith Bridge near the Brandywine River Wednesday night.
"We're not seeing any flooding down in this area yet tonight, but we do expect to have flooding tomorrow, especially as water from the heavy rains that we're seeing in Pennsylvania work their way downstream," he said. "So, a very nasty night out here."
Heavy rain was anticipated to continue falling throughout Wednesday night, and travelers were warned morning commutes would likely be messy and lengthier than the typical affair.
"Just a very wet nasty night; a lot of water on the roads. If you are going to be out in the overnight hours, please drive carefully," McLeod said. "We do have flood watches and warnings for New Castle County and Kent County continuing through the overnight hours, and we do expect to see flooding conditions [Wednesday,] especially along the Brandywine as a result of the rain."
Major, and in some cases record, flooding was occurring Wednesday night along the Brandywine Creek in Chester County, and even when the rain stops, that still led forecasters to predict it would not crest in Wilmington until just before 10 a.m. Thursday, with possible impacts for the Park Drives in Wilmington along the creek.
Five inches of rain in a 24-hour period was still seen in some places in Delaware, like the White Clay Creek State Park near Newark, which was the high mark in the First State.
"Other areas of the state have received anywhere from a couple inches of rain to, when you get into eastern Sussex, very very little rain, which is a good thing for that area, which is also prone to flooding," McLeod said. "So, again, if you are going to be out in the overnight hours, please just be very cautious. If you do approach flooded roadways, take some time to take a different route. We've had a number of roads across New Castle County that have experienced flooding this evening, where cars have gotten stuck, trucks have gotten stuck. Obviously, you don't want to see that happen to anyone else, and just want everyone to be very careful as they're out."
Delmarva Power crews had managed to repair outages and lower those without power from roughly 3,000 to about 480 prior to midnight Wednesday morning. DelDOT crews would also be making the rounds overnight to continue addressing issues that popup or are reported as motorists encounter them, which was becoming as issue in some areas.
The official National Weather Service - Mount Holly Twitter account reported:
"We're hearing reports that crews are running out of resources to rescue people stuck in flood waters. People are continuing to drive into flood waters resulting in hundreds of water rescues. Please, unless you must travel, stay home tonight in you live in NJ or PA."
"Once the storm system gets out of here and we get the flooding out of the way, it looks like we're going to have some really nice, comfortable weather--sunny weather--which will be well deserved after a very unpleasant day and night with the remnants of Ida moving through," McLeod said.
While the storms may be over, McLeod cautioned the dangers may not be, and motorists and individuals needed to remain vigilant in the immediate future until the area dried out.
"The ground is very, very saturated. It won't take much for a tree to come down even with just some light wind, when the ground gets this wet," he said. "We'll just be continuing to keep keep an eye out and listening for reports and heading out if we need to need to get out, and respond to any issues, and we'll check in in the morning as well."
Rain Totals from former Hurricane Ida (Courtesy: DEOS)
Newark (White Clay Creek Park) - 5.04 inches
Winterthur- 4.61
Newark (UD Ag Farm) - 4.41
Hockessin - 4.22
Prices Corner - 3.97
Bridgeville - 2.37
New Castle (Delaware DMV) - 2.26
Harrington - 2.19
Rehoboth - 0.25
Indian River Bridge - 0.10
Chester Springs, PA - 8.20
West Grove, PA - 6.42
Nottingham (Park) - 5.82
Longwood Gardens - 4.73
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WDEL's Mike Phillips and Sean Greene contributed to this report. Additional coverage by NBC10.
The remnants of Hurricane Ida are in the middle of making their way over Delaware and with it, downed trees, major flooding, and power outages.
Roughly 3,000 people were without power by Wednesday evening, and travel was impacted around the state.
"Just a few things to keep in mind, there's currently a flash flood warning in effect for northern New Castle County. That means that flooding is happening or is imminent," said DEMA's Jeff Sands. "Then there is a flash flood watch for New Castle and Kent counties until tomorrow morning."
There were tornado watches issued for the entire state through 10 p.m. on September 1, 2021, but a tornado warning was issued for the entire state which was extended twice for New Castle County through 7 p.m., but was expired at 6:40 p.m.
"One of the issues that we're seeing with this storm is that it's produced some confirmed tornadoes in Maryland, so this is a pretty significant issue," Sands said. "We just want everybody to stay aware. There's a really unstable air pattern and that can lead to some of these tornadoes, especially across our state."
The most significant rainfall seemed to be occurring north of the state, in Pennsylvania, Sands said, but the evening rush was expected to line up to the timing of more rain moving through.
He said northern New Castle County had already seen ground saturation with between 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain having already fallen by the afternoon.
The first downpours in what is expected to be hours worth of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ida began hitting the region Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for all of Delaware, all of South Jersey, Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, and a large majority of eastern Maryland, until 10 p.m.
Here is what is expected from Ida.
Hours of rain from the remnants of Ida
Rain was already falling before daybreak Wednesday and heavier rain will likely develop over our northern neighborhoods as Wednesday morning goes on. However, the heaviest widespread rain is expected after 1 p.m. Wednesday and it should continue through the night and early Thursday morning. This is the time period that also carries the best chance of severe storms.
The rain is expected to exit Thursday morning, but not before sopping the region.
Rain amounts of up to 6-plus inches are possible. The flash flooding threat is greatest north of the I-95 corridor with the severe storm threat the greatest in South Jersey, Delaware and shore points. Everyone in the region, however, should be prepared for the possibility of street flooding as well as river and creek flooding since pockets of heavy rain could hit just about anywhere.
The area is under a flash flood watch through Thursday morning.
Here are the estimated rain totals:
- Berks County, Lehigh Valley, northernmost Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties - 4 to 6-plus inches
- Philadelphia, Trenton, Wilmington and I-95 Corridor - 2 to 4 inches
- Areas southward are looking at 1 to 3 inches, with the lowest amounts likely near the Jersey Shore and southern Delaware.
- We are expecting severe storms to come with the heavy rain. Specifically, isolated tornadoes can’t be ruled out for the region Wednesday.
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect in northern Ocean County through 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Expect more warnings and alerts through the day.
It won't take much rain for flooding to begin because the ground has been saturated by recent storms including the remnants of Fred and Henri. Recent localized downpours caused flooding in portions of Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties as well as parts of Atlantic and Cape May counties this past weekend—an indication that much of the region is vulnerable to flooding.
Just 1 inch of rain in a three-hour period could bring flooding to some towns within the Pennsylvania suburbs, Lehigh Valley, Berks County and Philadelphia.
The WPC (Weather Prediction Center under NWS) 1-day/24-hour rainfall forecast for southern Pennsylvania on Wednesday is on par with that of a 100-year flood. That means that a flood event of this magnitude only has a 1% chance of happening any given year. The last 100-year flood in our region took place in July.
Even after the rain stops, flooding remains a concern Thursday as water will continue to swell creaks and rivers, hence why the First Alert continues until midday.
High tornado risk
On Wednesday the region will be in the 10% tornado risk area, which is significantly high.
Most of South Jersey and Delaware have the best chance of seeing an isolated tornado on Wednesday. But the threat can't be ruled out in Philadelphia and the suburbs.
According to the National Weather Service, the last two 10% tornado threats in our region occurred on Sept. 3, 2020, and Aug. 4, 2020, during Isaias in which there were five confirmed tornadoes.
So far this year, the National Weather Service Mount Holly has issued 35 tornado warnings in our region, one shy of the record set last year.
What you can do to prepare for the storm's impacts
Even as rain starts to fall, you can still get prepared for the storm.
Check your basement, make sure sump pump is working and move out any important items you don't want to get wet.
Make sure you charge your device as you could lose power during the storm. If you have any backup power banks, make sure those are also charged up.
Have a meeting point with family should you need to leave your home.
Also, you may want to reconsider travel on Wednesday afternoon and night due to flooding and poor visibility from the storms. Remember the saying: "turn around don't drown."
About fifty personnel from Exelon-owned utilities Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric left from Newark on Monday, August 30, 2021, to assist local power crews in Louisiana repair the damage done by Hurricane Ida.
Delmarva Power spokesman Jeffrey Ziemba said the images they've seen so far of the extensive damage are reminiscent of hurricanes Katrina and Irma.
"We were deployed in both of those hurricanes and we're prepared for it, we're ready, ready to help," said Ziemba.
Crews are taking about two dozen pieces of equipment with them. The drive will take about two and a half days.
"Our first stop is going to be in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then we'll be in Alabama, and then from Alabama we'll head to Louisiana," said Ziemba. "So we should be there somewhere around 5 o'clock on Wednesday."
That will give local crews time to evaluate the damage.
"So the assessment is being done as we speak," said Ziemba, "so by the time we do get there we will have work ready for us."
The utility personnel are being paid for their work, but they volunteered for this duty.
"It gives you a good sense of feeling that you're really helping communities get their lives back together because everybody knows it starts with the electricity," said Ziemba.
Rescue workers set out in hundreds of boats and helicopters to reach people trapped by floodwaters and utility crews mobilized Monday after a furious Hurricane Ida swamped the Louisiana coast and shattered a large swath of the state’s electrical grid in the sweltering, late-summer heat.
One of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi with torrential rain and shrieking winds, its danger far from over.
Ida was blamed for at least one death — someone hit by a falling tree outside Baton Rouge — but with many roads impassable and cellphone service knocked out in places, the full extent of its fury was still coming into focus.
All of New Orleans lost power right around sunset Sunday as the hurricane blew ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, leading to an uneasy night of pouring rain and howling wind. The weather died down shortly before dawn, and people began carefully walking around neighborhoods with flashlights, dodging downed light poles, pieces of roofs and branches.
“I had a long miserable night,” said Chris Atkins, who was in his New Orleans home when he heard a “kaboom” and all the sheetrock in the living room fell into the house. A short time later, the whole side of the living room fell onto his neighbor’s driveway.
“Lucky the whole thing didn’t fall inward. It would have killed us,” he said.
An area just west of New Orleans got about 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain in 20 hours, Greg Carbin of NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center tweeted.
The flooding from the rain and surge in the maze of rivers and bayous south of New Orleans threatened hundreds of homes. On social media, people posted their addresses and directed search and rescue teams to their attics or rooftops.
Rescuers moved to launch hundreds of boats into the floodwaters in the morning. The Louisiana National Guard said it activated 4,900 Guard personnel and lined up 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats and 34 helicopters. Local and state agencies were adding hundreds of more.
Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans knew of 500 people who said they were going to stay in areas that were flooded, and it began sending out dozens of boats to account for everyone and start rescuing them, Parish Council member Deano Bonano told WWL-TV.
“I know people have family members in here they are trying to check on. They can’t get to them. The water is too high. We’re going to do our best efforts to get them out,” Bonano said.
More than a million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi were without power, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks outages nationwide, increasing their vulnerability to flooding and leaving them without air conditioning and refrigeration.
Entergy said all eight major transmission lines into New Orleans were down and the only power was coming from generators, the city’s emergency office tweeted, citing “catastrophic transmission damage.” The city relies on Entergy for backup power for its stormwater pumps.
New Orleans’ levees underwent major improvements after Katrina, which in 2015 breached the city’s flood defenses, caused catastrophic flooding and was blamed for 1,500 deaths. Ida posed its biggest test since that disaster.
No major flooding was reported inside the flood control system that protect New Orleans, but with communications spotty and no power, the extent of the damage across the city was not immediately clear.
Bonano said flooding from the rain was as bad as he had ever seen, but the levee system in Jefferson Parish held.
“No issues, no breaches no overtopping — the levees worked great,” he said.
But the hurricane twisted and collapsed a giant transmission tower along the Mississippi River, and the wires fell into the river, causing widespread outages and halting river traffic, Jefferson Parish Emergency Management Director Joe Valiente said. Those lines supplied power to the New Orleans area.
“One-hundred percent of the grid is smashed, hundreds of telephone poles snapped, trees hit power lines and just ripped them out,” Valiente told NPR. He said that the entire power grids collapsed in about 10 parishes and that it could take six weeks to fully restore power.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Sunday that 30,000 utility workers were in the state to help restore electricity.
Farther south, emergency officials had not heard from Grand Isle since Sunday afternoon. About 40 people stayed on the barrier island, which took the brunt of the hurricane and was swamped by seawater, Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told NBC.
Edwards warned the state late Sunday that it faces dark days of cleanup without power. But he added: “There is always light after darkness, and I can assure you we are going to get through this.”
Ida’s 150 mph (230 kph) winds tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the mainland. Its winds were down to 45 mph (72 kph) early Monday, and forecasters said it would rapidly weaken while still dumping heavy rain over a large area.
Parts of Interstate 10 — the main east-west highway along the Gulf Coast — were closed because of high water and debris on the road. At one spot, near LaPlace, Louisiana, the water over the highway was at least 4 feet (1.2 meters) deep, state officials said.
In Mississippi’s southwestern corner, entire neighborhoods were surrounded by floodwaters, and many roads were impassable.
Ida was expected to pick up speed Monday night before dumping rain on the Tennessee and Ohio River valleys Tuesday, the Appalachian mountain region Wednesday and the nation’s capital on Thursday.
Forecasters said flash flooding and mudslides are possible along Ida’s path before it blows out to sea over New England on Friday.
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Associated Press writers Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi; Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; Michael Biesecker in Washington; Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina. contributed to this report.
More than 100 dogs and cats from Louisiana took a plane ride to Pennsylvania Saturday as shelter workers got them out of Hurricane Ida's likely path.
Fifty dogs and 60 cats were flown from a rural Louisiana shelter to Chester County Airport Saturday afternoon, and that the animals would be sent to various SPCA facilities in the area so they can be adopted, the Brandywine Valley SPCA announced.
The animals were originally supposed to fly into New Castle Airport in Delaware, but were diverted to the Pennsylvania airport.
If you'd like to find out more about adopting a rescued dog or cat, you can go to bvspca.org.
