Devastation At Lafayette Gardens: 1st Floor May Be Uninhabitable

BENSALEM, PA — Public officials say some residents may never be able to move back into their homes on the first floor of Lafayette Gardens, a Bensalem condominium complex that experienced severe flooding Monday.

First responders successfully rescued everyone from the complex, and no one was hurt or killed. But when former Lafayette Gardens tenants and owners went back in to grab pets and medication the next day, it was clear that first floor apartments had weathered significant damage when a nearby creek overflowed during the storm.

"Here's 66 units that are probably totally gone — you're talking about a couple hundred people here,” Director of Public Safety Fred Harran told 6ABC.

Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, who worked with state representatives to request that Governor Wolf declare Monday's events an emergency disaster, said the damage is severe. He told 6ABC that he is unsure when conditions will be safe enough for residents to return.

"I know there's one building that's buckled — no one is going in there. All the first floor's windows are broken, everything's flooded," he explained. "I don't see anyone coming back for quite a while. We'll have to make arrangements in the meantime."

Bensalem officials have made resources available for those who have been impacted by the flooding: whether by property damage, displacement, or having had a vehicle towed. Click here for more information on these services.

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