Ida remnants trigger weather emergency in Pennsylvania
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf declared a weather emergency Tuesday night as forecasts show Tropical Depression Ida will dump up to 7 inches of rain across in parts of the state over the next 36 hours.
“This dangerous storm continues to have devastating impacts across the south and as it heads toward Pennsylvania, we are expecting significant rainfall across the state,” he said. “This proclamation will allow for our emergency preparedness teams to provide any support needed throughout the storm and its aftermath.”
Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Louisiana on Sunday, leaving “catastrophic” damage in its wake that resulted in the deaths of six people, so far, according to a report from AccuWeather.
Even as the storm weakens, Wolf’s administration’s anticipates heavy rainfall – expected to last all day Wednesday and into Thursday morning – combined with saturated ground conditions will trigger flash flooding and swell many rivers in the south-central region of the state to dangerous levels.
School districts in the region also canceled classes as a result of the impending storm. Wolf ordered several state parks to close and likewise “urged” residents “to monitor local weather and traffic conditions before making any plans and prepare for potential flooding.”
In the disaster declaration, Wolf transferred $7 million from special account “authorized by the Office of the Budget” to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency for its response efforts. Unused funds must be returned to the General Fund, according to the order.
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