Baldwin Street Residents Hold Out Hope for FEMA Assistance After Floods

Tony Sikarski has called Baldwin Street home for about three years, and he's seen the water rise in McLaughlin Run, but like many on the street, he said last week's flooding was nothing he could have prepared for.

Sikarski and his neighbors were working Friday morning to clean up properties and belongings, and air out homes that filled with water during the July 10 storms. Many said water rose more quickly than they'd seen in the past, leaving them to sort through ruined belongings.

"You name it, A to Z, we lost it," Sikarski said. "I went to work, and a neighbor called and said 'You'd better get back here.' It just went up that fast. This mud stinks and now we're worried about bacteria."

Sikarski was preparing for a move in October, when construction on his new home is scheduled to finish. Many of his belongings were packed in his Baldwin Street garage.

Water rose at least four feet onto Sikarski's property. Neighbors said water lines left on their homes showed as much as seven feet.

Further down the street, one woman who did not share her name lined clothing along a fence, trying to dry it out, but doubtful that much of it could be saved.

"I don't know, I don't know," she said. "When we got nailed 10 years ago we got some FEMA help, but I don't know if it'll go through this time."

She said she couldn't put a price on what she'd lost yet, and said she was working with her insurance company for help. The water came up through sewer lines first, she said, filled her basement and covered her yard.

On Friday, Bridgeville Borough manager Lori Collins said both the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are expected to tour Bridgeville and the Baldwin Street area on Monday.

Click here to read more about what the borough planned to do to help, and about other organizations that planned to be in the borough over the next few days.

The Allegheny County Health Department and the Red Cross both released information last week about handling floods, from dealing with safety situations including food, carbon monoxide and cleaning issues, to who to call for help. Click the highlighted links for more information.

Collins said Bridgeville's public works department would be in the Baldwin Street area as much as possible through the weekend and the following week, and that taking care of residents is the borough's first priority.

Residents with emergencies should call 911—those who need assistance for non-emergency situations should call the non-emergency dispatch number, 412-279-6911.