Red Cross volunteers Maureen Walsh and Bonnie Thomson conduct damage assessment in Westfield, Tioga County.
Days after Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida on Aug. 5, 2024, areas across Pennsylvania suffered the remnants of the storm.
Debby, as a post-tropical depression, tore through Pennsylvania on Aug. 9. It created catastrophic flooding for some areas and high winds. A tornado was confirmed in Harrisburg.
Red Crosser Zachary Bloom assists Potter County resident Stephen Tinder.
Stephen Tinder remembers the hours when the storm swept through his hometown of Genesee Township in Potter County. The area is estimated to have received upwards of four inches of rain in a couple of hours.
“At around 12:30 p.m., we had people standing on the bridge by our house who said they could see some water coming. By 1 p.m., the bridge was impassable,” Tinder said.
Disaster teams from the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania immediately mobilized to respond to community needs by supporting emergency shelters and providing families a safe place to stay.
After the storm passed, Red Cross volunteers like Peggy Wilkins brought relief services directly to people cleaning up their homes. Red Crossers distributed more than 300 cleanup kits across Pennsylvania to help families start to recover.
"I like helping where and when I can," Wilkins said. She distributed cleanup kits around Cambria County.
Red Cross volunteer Peggy Wilkins
Red Cross cleanup kits
To better understand what families were facing, Red Cross volunteers toured communities across the state to assess the residential damage left behind by Debby. Preliminary reports indicated more than 180 homes were destroyed or received major damage.
“My insurance company couldn't understand what I meant when I told them my truck was not just damaged but gone,” Tinder said. His daughter lives in a neighboring home. Both houses suffered extensive water damage. His daughter's car was also a total loss.
Red Crosser Steve Leauber conducts damage assessments in Potter County.
Red Cross volunteers Jane Hoopingarner and Maureen Walsh assist residents in Tioga County.
Red Cross caseworkers met with Tinder and other residents who were impacted by the storm at multi-agency resource centers in Lycoming, Potter and Tioga counties. Red Crossers addressed residents' individual needs and provided recovery aid, including financial assistance, replacing lost medical items such as eyeglasses and prescriptions, and offering referrals to community partners for longer-term needs.
A team of about 60 trained Red Cross disaster workers supported this relief operation.
“What a monumental effort,” said Kate Crowley, the Red Cross volunteer who directed this operation. “So many [people] have contributed in some way.”
Large disasters like hurricanes and floods are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate crisis worsens. For disasters big and small, Red Cross volunteers provide comfort during what can be the worst days of people’s lives.
Your donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief helps provide food, shelter, relief supplies, comfort, financial assistance and other aid, as well as supporting the vehicles, warehouses and people that make this help possible.
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