Flood assistance helping local counties affected by Aug. 5 water damage

MUNHALL, Pa. — The rush of water on Aug. 5 took over Shady Avenue in Munhall.

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“The garage door was being pushed up by all of the water that was coming down the road and he tried standing on it and it wasn’t going anywhere and as I tried to help him my garage door leading into the house burst open and we got a three foot wave of water,” said Alice McLaughlin, a flood victim.

McLaughlin has lived at her home since 1999. She said they’ve seen flooding since their home sits in a valley, but never this bad.

“Tens of thousands of dollars in damages and I’m just one person on this street that’s lost that and there are many more,” McLaughlin said.

But a sign of hope arrived on Monday as she received an application from the U.S. Small Business Administration for low interest disaster loans. This comes after the Pennsylvania governor sent a letter to the Capital asking for help as communities across Allegheny, Armstrong, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties received devastating rainfall on Aug. 5.

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“This is a huge weight off of our shoulders I mean we hate to take out a loan for something wasn’t our fault however it’s nice to know the government is recognizing we are going to need some help,” McLaughlin said.

If you are a flood victim from Aug. 5, applicants may apply in person at the Disaster Loan Center at St. Vincent College or online at DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov/ela/s and should apply under SBA declaration #17579.

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