Montgomery County clean up continues after Ida's devastating impact

Montgomery County residents struggle to clean up after Ida

Montgomery County residents are slowly attempting to clean up after Ida

BRIDGEPORT, Pa. - Volunteers are making the rounds in Montgomery County, helping people recover after last week’s destructive storms.

Cleanup efforts continue in Montco, as the devastation becomes more evident to residents. Many said they are starting over from scratch after losing everything in the flood water.

The American Red Cross has one shelter open and it has housed more than 150 people since the storm.

"I’ve been here four years and this is my third flood, so three times a charm," Kathy Bosco commented. She said the severity of the flood was something she never expected, as she woke up to banging on her door from volunteer firefighters who urged her to evacuate. She went on to say she returned to the unthinkable.

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"They finally let us back when the water receded. The living room and kitchen were floating. The fridge was toppled over. The kitchen counter was totally gone," Bosco described.

Over the river in Norristown, some said they, too, are left with nothing.

"I don’t have a place to stay," resident Charles Abney remarked.

Abney is sheltering at the Norristown Area High School where the Red Cross has created a shelter for those who need it most. For Abney, it’s bad timing to have to sleep in a group setting.

"I just had an operation on my heart and I can’t be around people who haven’t been vaccinated," Abney explained.

The Red Cross will remain in Norristown to help people like Abney get back on their feet following the remnants of Ida’s devastating impact.

"This is the largest disaster response we’ve had, here, in southeastern Pennsylvania since Hurricane Sandy," Director of Communications for the Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania Dave Skutnik stated. "In total, we’ve sheltered more than 150 people since the storm hit last week, but we’re slowly beginning to work with folks to get them on that road to recovery, out of the shelter and in a better situation."