Sen. Fetterman tours flood damage in Washington
City, surrounding area seeking additional relief
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman visited Washington County to inspect lingering damage from recent flash flooding while offering his support for ongoing recovery efforts.
Washington Mayor JoJo Burgess led Fetterman on a tour across three sites in Washington, East Washington Borough and Washington & Jefferson College on Friday morning alongside a group of local officials.
Burgess described the meeting as “very productive.”
Burgess said he is very optimistic that Fetterman will be able to unlock additional federal relief for local flood damage survivors following the tour, but declined to offer specifics as it is still too early to determine the exact next steps.
“Support is nice, but I like money and financial support,” he said. “We are going to continue to keep pressure on our elected officials to stay diligent in helping our residents. We will keep our foot on the gas.”
According to a news release, Fetterman highlighted key resources available to local municipalities through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Pittsburgh office, which is currently working on a comprehensive plan to reduce flood risk within the Chartiers Creek watershed.
“I’m proud to stand by the City of Washington and the Borough of East Washington so that we can find solutions to address the flooding from Chartiers Creek. We need to use every lever of the federal government to protect people and property as flooding continues to impact the area,” Fetterman said in a statement. “I applaud this joint effort and look forward to working together to turn the conclusions of this study into a reality on the ground.”
According to Burgess, Fetterman told the group he would contact his colleague U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick to enlist his help in securing further federal support for Washington County residents.
Representatives from both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency have visited the area to offer support following four flash floods that caused significant damage to local homes and businesses in August and September.
Additionally, the federal Small Business Administration authorized residents in Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties to apply for low-interest loans through the Disaster Loan Program intended for flood recovery efforts.
Burgess has worked with PEMA and state Department of Environmental Protection officials to determine how the city can prevent further flood damage, who have approved a targeted effort to remove built-up sediment and debris from local waterways to reduce flood vulnerability.
East Washington Mayor Demond Nixon, who was part of Friday’s visit, said he is thankful for the senator choosing to spend time with his constituents in Washington County, and for Burgess helping to arrange the tour.
Nixon said he feels “optimistic” for the success of ongoing flood recovery efforts following the visit.
“(Fetterman) was really open to what we asked him, and he asked a lot of questions as well, and it’s always nice to inspect the issue in person and get eyes on it. It’s totally different.”