SHAMOKIN - A plan to cut electrical service to approximately 200 customers in the Fifth Ward neighborhood and some homes along Second and Third streets that sustained damage from this week's flooding was ongoing Friday evening.
Residents, many displaced twice by rising waters from Shamokin Creek earlier this week, were upset as news of the plan spread Friday afternoon. But authorities said it was an effort to prevent fires from breaking out due to damaged electrical boxes.
PPL employees, city and Northumberland County public safety officials and emergency responders joined forces to go door-to-door to inspect electrical components and spread the word.
Shamokin City Clerk Steve Bartos said PPL was in the process of turning off power to approximately 200 customers, who reportedly had their electrical meters pulled and inspected by certified electrician Tom Nowroski to determine if they sustained any water damage that could possibly spark a fire. Those 200 customers represent approximately one-third of the homes and properties in the Fifth Ward.
"This is being done as a precautionary measure," Bartos said. "If a box was impacted by water, it may contain mud and dirt on contacts and could send a charge back to the meter and burn it out, or back to the pole and potentially knock out transformers."
Bartos recognized it could result in people being displaced again, but "the last thing we need is a fire in the city."
If the electrical boxes showed no signs of damage and passed inspection, residents were allowed to return to their homes.
Bartos said an American Red Cross shelter has been re-established at the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center, Arch and Eighth streets.
By early Friday evening, all properties had been inspected and the problem ones identified, but it was unknown if power had yet been cut to any properties.
Jason Zimmerman, of Shamokin, a county EMA employee who helped warn residents of the possible shut off, said fire and rescue personnel from Shamokin, Coal Township, Atlas, Kulpmont and Mount Carmel handed out damage assessment forms that could be filed toward possible reimbursement.
Residents upset
Although they understood the reasoning behind inspecting the electrical boxes, Rock Street residents, some of whom sustained heavy losses due to flooding, were disturbed about the possibility of having to evacuate again. Without power, residents are unable to operate sump pumps, essentially halting clean-up efforts. They also cited a lack of communication as a source of frustration.
Some residents were under the impression they would be required to hire their own electricians; others thought power in the entire Fifth Ward was going to be cut.
"They should have shut the power off two days ago. This is nuts," said Stacy Backes, of 5 N. Rock St.
Steve and Jane Stanchick Garancheski, of 11 N. Rock St., said they lost a washer, dryer, hot water heater, dehumidifier and possibly their furnace when 7 feet of water entered their basement.
Jane, although obviously upset, said, "I'm grateful we didn't get any damage in our living area. It could have been worse. At least we still have our homes and health."
Matt Kitchen, of 4 S. Rock St., said he had 4 1/2 feet of water in his basement and approximately 3 feet in his garage.
"This is rough," he said. "Now, we are being told we may have to evacuate again. I haven't had a shower or bath since Wednesday morning."
Nedra Templar, of 21 N. Rock St., was very outspoken.
"A lot of us just got done or are still cleaning up the damage, and now we may have to leave our homes again," she said. "It's not right."
Templar said she was most concerned with elderly residents.
"That shelter isn't worth anything," Templar said. "You get a cot and a drink, that's it. You can't even take animals there."
A lighter side
Matthew Renn, who lives at 44 S. Shamokin St. with his wife, Tiffany, and their two children, Matthew, 15, and Samantha, 13, was busy cleaning up Friday.
"The only thing that is going to clean this up is time," he said, looking at the muddy water that now fills his in-ground swimming pool installed a little over a month ago.
"It is hard to cope when you lose everything after all the work we have done," he said. "It sucks. There is no other word for it."
The Renns lost everything on the first floor, including valuables and irreplaceable items such as their children's Christening outfits, his wife's wedding dress and all his guns and fishing and archery equipment. Renn also believes his white 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T, which was parked in front of his home, will be totaled.
Still, Renn was trying to keep the mood light. He had a long hose running from his pool pump to the street to drain the water. When he started it, he jokingly yelled to his wife to "look down the blue hose and see if anything is coming out." She didn't fall for it and made a gesture toward him.
"Mother Nature wasn't doing me any favors, that's for sure," Renn said, seemingly speaking for every resident of the Fifth Ward.