Overview

During the summer of 2018, portions of Northeast Pennsylvania experienced up to 200% of normal rainfall amounts. The already soaked ground set the stage for the destructive flooding that occurred in mid-August. From August 10-15, 2018, Schuylkill County experienced sustained periods of heavy rain. On August 13, the single day rainfall the exceeded 4”.

In Frackville Borough, Route 61 was closed for a period of time due to flooding at the intersection of Rt 61 and Spruce Street. State Police were dispatched for traffic control and PennDOT crews were needed to clean drains in the area. There were also flash flooding issues on West Arch Street and Laurel Street. We assisted the Borough with inspections, repairs and improvements to their stormwater system following the flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared that Public Assistance was available for Frackville in November of 2018. More than $64M was awarded to northeast Pennsylvania. Frackville Borough was able to acquire funds to repair damages due to the flooding and update their stormwater system. FEMA provided 75% reimbursement for project costs, while the State (PEMA) provided the required 25% matching funds.

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses were completed of the stormwater system to both evaluate the adequacy of existing conditions and determine points of constraint as well as provide recommendations to improve existing capacity. Stormwater conveyance systems were televised and cleaned to gather data for the analyses.

A field survey established a construction baseline with the necessary boundary information needed for the establishment of easements. Entech also assisted with design, permitting, bidding, and construction administration services as well as administering the grant funds from FEMA.