Gov. Wolf seeks federal disaster aid for Western Pennsylvania landslides

June 22--Gov. Tom Wolf requested federal help Friday paying for $22 million worth of damage from landslides in Western Pennsylvania.

Wolf asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster for the state as a result of heavy rains from February through May that caused more than 50 landslides. More than 12 inches of rain fell from Feb. 15 through April 24, 187 percent of the average, according to Wolf's letter, which was also sent to the regional administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Allegheny County emergency management officials said in May they were asking their state counterparts to make the request to the federal government based on damage to public property.

The rain caused "embankment failures, landslides and flash flooding which severely impacted transportation infrastructure and washed away roadways, berms and guiderails," in the county, along with damaging and destroying sewer lines, according to the letter.

The letter says the slides caused $20 million worth of damage in Allegheny County.

The rain impacted similar infrastructure in Westmoreland County, causing about $1.4 million in damage, according to the letter.

PennDOT's reports for landslides in the area are even higher . The agency received about 70 reports of slides in Allegheny County and more than 200 reports of landslides in two districts that cover Armstrong, Butler, Indiana, Greene, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.

The region broke a more than century-old record with 18.71 inches of precipitation from Jan. 1 through May 4.

The Route 30 landslide is not included in the request because maintenance of the road is federally funded. The road is still scheduled to reopen by early July.

Wes Venteicher is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-380-5676, [email protected] or via Twitter @wesventeicher.

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