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THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040
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FOR IMMEDIATE USE
23 September 2004
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FLOOD RECOVERY OPERATIONS CONTINUE ENMASSE
Harrisburg, PA—Mayor Stephen R. Reed today gave the following report on continuing flood recovery operations in Harrisburg:
- The boil water advisory remains in effect for all Harrisburg water customers; on Tuesday morning, test samples indicated higher than allowable turbidity, meaning water coloration; DEP directed that the boil water advisory be issued Tuesday afternoon, which then occurred in an announcement to media 35 minutes later; On Tuesday at 4 p.m., further testing indicated the water was then within turbidity standards; under federal and state rules, there has to be two additional days of test results verifying the same before the advisory can be lifted; unless any new circumstance arises, it is expected the boil water advisory will be cancelled late Friday afternoon; no bacteriological contaminants were found in any test; the turbidity or cloudiness in the water was caused by dirt or silt stirred up by heavy
- rainfall last Friday-Saturday and the use of rarely used lines to send water to the neighboring United Water Co.;
- Staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency are in Harrisburg as of Tuesday night;
- A Health Advisory is issued now to the public suggesting that anyone who suffers any cut or abrasion and has been in contact with river water or flood mud should get a tetanus shot; for city workers, it is mandatory;
- Pumping, clearance and clean-up work continues in major ways; six homes in the Shipoke neighborhood sustained structural damage in the flood when basement walls separating row homes partially collapsed, adding to the extent of flood water and other damage already affecting the area;
- The City Island parking lots and parking garage and the Walnut Street Bridge are open for normal business starting Thursday morning; the north side of City Island remains closed to the public due to the extent of damage and the on-going flood recovery work there;
- All flood zones in the city are open to unrestricted vehicular and pedestrian access, except Shipoke where, because of very narrow streets, police check points are in place which limit vehicles to only resident-owned or clean-up personnel;
- Scam artists are apparently at work; persons who appeared in the 2300 block of Penn Street, passing themselves off as representing the city, attempted to gain entry to homes saying they were there to disinfect basement areas; all city staff carry photo ID; persons can verify legitimacy by calling police at 255-3131; violators will be prosecuted under felony charges and jail terms will be demanded;
- A rough damage estimate regarding city infrastructure, parks, buildings and equipment indicates $7,399,000 in possible damage and loss; this does not count the costs for overtime, materials, supplies and vehicles that have been in constant use since last Friday; it does not count damage, loss and cost to other levels of government or to private homes and businesses; it also does not include lost business income and wages, meaning that the toll in Harrisburg will be in the eight figures.
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