Hurricane Ida Disaster Plan Virtual Public Meetings Begin Tuesday

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — The first in a planned series of virtual public hearings to address funding allocations and ongoing recovery relating to last year's Hurricane Ida is scheduled to take place Tuesday afternoon.

The hearing, hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, will provide an overview of a draft plan that has been developed to identify unmet needs remaining in the Montgomery County communities that were devastated by Hurricane Ida, and a strong tornado that was spurred by the September 2021 storm.

Pennsylvania, following disaster declarations by Gov. Tom Wolf and President Joe Biden, was given $23.152 million to help with rebuilding and recovering from the damage caused by Ida.

The commonwealth says as part of accepting the funding allocation, it is required to submit an updated action plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development detailing how the remaining dollars will be used in affected communities.

The draft plan highlights proposed activities, projects and programs to help build back the municipalities devastated by the storm and tornado.

Tuesday's virtual public hearing will be the first of three, with the others scheduled for Nov. 17 and 29.

Individuals and organizations in affected areas are encouraged to provide feedback about the plan and offer suggestions or ask questions about process.

The final action plan will be submitted to HUD on Jan. 31, 2023.

More information, including a link to the virtual public meeting, can be found here.

Tuesday's meeting will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Certain communities, like Upper Dublin and Horsham Townships in Montgomery County, were hit particularly hard by last year's Hurricane Ida.

The strong tornado that was created by the storm severely damaged the Upper Dublin Township municipal complex, forcing the relocation of both the municipal wing and the police department headquarters.

In addition to extensive property damage, Ida also led to the loss of lives in the area.

This fall, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring September to be "Upper Dublin Strong Month."

Links to related Patch news stories about the storm and its aftermath can be found within the above story link.