Force of Tropical Storm Lee still felt as 69 houses face demolition in Dauphin County [The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, Pa.]

July 15--Almost two years after Tropical Storm Lee, the cleanup continues as houses damaged by flooding along the swollen Swatara Creek and later bought by the federal government are being demolished.

During the past few weeks, local municipalities have hired contractors to remove the houses, purchased through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Program. Buyouts from FEMA were determined by the cost of rebuilding the house and future flood insurance claims.

At least 69 houses have been targeted for demolition, almost all of them on land near or adjacent to Swatara Creek. The total cost is $8 million with the municipalities carrying 3 percent, or $250,000, of the cost.

But the long-term effects of the demolition will be bourn by the localities, as the properties slip from tax rolls and elected leaders are left wondering what to do with flood-prone vacant lots.

--Check out the number of houses and costs for the affected municipalities.

--Coming tomorrow: Two years after Lee, families are still working to put their lives back in order

The entire purpose of the program, after all, is to prevent redevelopment of the land. In Londonderry Township, the local government is planning a conservation program, turning the land along the Swatara Creek into habitat for local wildlife and a pseudo-park for residents.

Middletown has 22 properties under contract -- more than any other municipality. What to do with those properties after the demolition will be a tough question for the tiny borough, said Chris Courogen, the borough's communications director.

Then there's the houses that weren't bought out, the jack-o'-lantern's teeth that will stick up between the vacant lots between the houses that are demolished. Courogen said the borough could seek grants to buy and remove those houses, but the borough doesn't want to make any promises to homeowners looking for a way out.

Down the road from Middletown, Lower Swatara Township has 14 houses due to be demolished, most of which are centered in two neighborhoods, Swatara Park and Jednota Flats. The Flats, said township emergency manager Alan Knoche, has a history of flooding.

"It's incredibly flat" down there, he said.

Flooding in the area is also exacerbated by the nearby Harrisburg International Airport and has been a source of contention between people who lived in the neighborhood and the airport for years.

Knoche said he thinks the mitigation program has moved pretty fast, considering it's a federal program and the sheer amount of paperwork involved.

"The PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) and FEMA people have been great to work with," he said.

Were you affected by Lee or one of the families whose home was bought out? You can email reporter Nick Malawskey or call him at 255-8105.

___

(c)2013 The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.)

Visit The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.) at www.pennlive.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services