CConnonweatr oF PenNavevania Orrice oF THE Goverwon Hanmieoune Novernber 2, 2018, ‘The Honorable Donsld J. Trump President ofthe United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenus, NW ‘Washington, DC 20001 Through: Ms. MaryAnn Ticiney Regional Administrator FEMA Region IIL Philadelphia, PA 19106 Dear Me President: Under the provisions of Section 401 ofthe Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergeney Assistance ‘Act, 42.U.S.C. § $170 (Stafford Act) and implemented by 44 CFR § 206.36, | request chat you declare a major disaster forthe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as @ result of rapid, heavy’ rainfall and severe flash floading ‘that impacted Pennsylvania during the period of August 10 through August 15, 2018, I have determined that the disster is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the ‘Commonwealth, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary. I am specifically requesting a major dlisaser declaration for Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA) for Berks, Bradford, Chester, Columbia, Delaware, Lackawanna, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Schuylkill, "Sullivan, Susquchanna, and Wyoming counties. Further, Iam requesting only Public Assistance for Bucks, Lycoming, ‘and Tioga counties, In addition, 1 request the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program be made available to all sixty-seven (67) counties of Peansylvania. [reserve the right to add additional counties and types of assistance to this request, should findings warrant this action, I. DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY (Om August 17, 2018, 1 declared « disaster emorgoney’ for all countioe of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania due tothe rapid, heavy eainfal, and resulting flash flooding (the “storms") that began to impact ‘the Commonwealth on July 21, 2018 and continued through September 1, 2018. Prior to this declaration, 1 directed thatthe Commonviealth’s emergency operations plan be executed, and appropriate response action be taken! Although this requests specifi to the August 10 through August 15, 2018, incident period, many of ‘the counties cited in ths letter were also impacted by severe storms and flash flooding on July 24 through July 27, 2018, and again on August 31 through September 1, 2018. Although assessed forthe potential of Geclared event, these two (2) additional events didnot exeeed the Commonvealth’s threshold, and thus the ‘Commonwealth a affeted counties absorbed over $29 milion dollars in rai costs to residential and public property. "Yor farther dail, please se Seton V. STATE AND LOCAL RESPONSE TO THE DISASTER,H, RAPID, HBAVY, AND CONTINUED RAIN WITH SEVERE FLASH FLOODING As a result of the continuous series of severe storms, during the period of July 21 through September 1, 2018, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported record breaking rainfall amounts in. much of the central and eastem Commonwealth counties. The continuous series of intense storms over this petiod ‘stuated the soil and maintained some waterways at rear bank-full levels. As aresul the significant addtional rainfall iggered rapid onset community flooding, and in many cese, tis flooding occurted at the same isolated locations over and over again WEATHER INFORMATION AUGUST 10-15, 2018 After several wooks of significant and record-breaking rainfall, flash flooding, and river Nooding inthe Commonwealth, an upper level low moved aver the northeastern United States between August 10 through August 15, 2018, producing more heavy rain and severe flooding, The upper low combined with tbundent tropical moisture, which led to heavy sainfall in central and eastern Pennsylvania on already fversaturated ground, Several days of torrential rainfall produced five (5) to nearly ten (10) inches of rainfall in fess than a week in spis,ereating additional severe flooding. In just one (1) day, over four (4) inches of ‘ainfal was recorded at the Wilkes-Barre/Serenton International Airport in Luzeme County. ‘Observation Site [County Rainfall | Average | Departure ‘Towanda 1S Bradtord 9.6" 0.60" 49.07" Seranton/Witkes-Bare Airport —_[Lackawanne/Luzeme | 7.02" 065" +637" Dushore Sullivan 639" 0.68" 46.11" Laporte Sallvan 639" 0.86" 4553" ‘Mahanoy City 2 Schuylkill sar" 0.85" 4.62" Canon Bradford ase oar 3.81" -Tamegus 4 N Dam [Seay aa one" 3355" Susquehanna Susquehanna 419° oe" 43.56" Covington? WSW Tioga Bur ~ I Cowanesque Dam Togs 2.89 0.6" ar “Tioge Hammond Dam Togs 24" 06” +1.80" Williamsport Regional Aiport | Lycoming 236" on +64" Wiliamsport2 Lycoming 236° 0.60" + Figure I: Observed mifal, average rainfall, and departure fom average forthe period of August 10-15, 2018, in impacted locations across the Commonwealth. ‘These sites recorded up to 16 times the average rainfall for this period on top of significant minfall during the three weeks leading up to this event, Source: hpt/xmacisrce-acis.org!EU Eee eels “Upper Level Low” “Soper ovl simcophere canes ih piel mot prasuca several Gye arenes an eBisccantn Aeport Over 4 ‘none day on August 13% WAN a eexees. Figure 2: Ate several weeks of heavy ain due to an anomalously wet summer pattem shit late July 2018, 1 significant rain event pushed many locations in central and eastern Pennsylvania over the edge with éatastrophie flood impacts from August 10-15, 2018. Map Data Source: Middle Atlantic River Foreeast Center ‘Only three (3) weeks prior to the August 10 through August 15,2018 evens, a meteorological pattem shit occured which placed Pennsylvania in the bullseye of numerous rounds of significant, heavy rainfall ‘which would last through August 15, 2018, From July 21 through July 27,2018, a significant period of rain rapidly oversaturated soils, causing flash flooding resulting in streams and rivers overflowing banks. Roughly three quarters (3/4) ofan inch to one 1) inch of rainfall is average forthe region during this period, but many "Weather observation points received eight (8) to sixteen (16) times the average. These extreme rainfall totals fare very unusual to the Commonwealth in such a short time period, especially without a tropical storm or hurvieane, This rainfall produced its own round of severe flooding which impacted a large portion of central Pennsylvania from the Maryland to New York borders. The rainfall amounts seen in July are comparable to Tropial Storm Lee in 2011, the summer floods of 2006, and Hurricane Agnes in 1972, all of which caused significant impacts othe Commonwealth Furthermore, the significant runfall event spanning August 10 through August 15, 2018, was part of a record breaking wet patter for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to data provided by the National Centers for Envionmental Information (NCED, February and July 2018, are record wet months for Pennsylvania, covering one hundred and twenty-four (124) years of data, July 2018, alone ranks in the top one percent (1%) of wettest months ever recorded in Pennsylvania since 1895. The yeat to date period of January through September 2018, is also the record wettest for Pennsylvania. ‘The relentless rainfall pushed official fobservation points at Reading, State College, and Williamsport to their wettest summers ever recorded in Commonvsealth history, with Harrisburg. and Scranton at second (2) and third (34) wettest summers respectively.