Trending
If you build a home or a structure to house a business, or otherwise live in or operate an enterprise in what many people might refer to as a "hurricane alley," and such a weather event severely damages or destroys your investment, it oftentimes can be salvaged or rebuilt.
However, there can be no guarantee that Mother Nature will spare you and your belongings from repeat events sometime in the future.
Consider the fears and uncertainties that remain in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Now, consider what is afflicting Hollidaysburg's Gaysport neighborhood. It is a nagging problem involving increased incidents and increased severity of flooding, spanning at least two decades.
Over that time, anti-flooding expertise has not been mustered to address the problem. According to residents, the maddening situation only has gotten worse with the arrival of new development, not only in Hollidaysburg but also in Blair Township.
Hope for the future may be tied to incoming federal Community Development Block Grant funds, if the right flood-threat-remediation expertise can be brought in and put to work.
All that remains to be seen, and it might be premature to anticipate a quick solution. The only certainties at this time are that Gaysport residents' situation has been around too long, and that the description "unfortunate" is an understatement.
It is troubling but true that land-use planning affecting Gaysport, coupled with basic good judgment, in numerous instances became lost -- or, at least, were put aside "temporarily" -- and the current flooding fears and realities are the result.
For Florida, the Carolinas' Outer Banks area and others in places recognized as being in "Hurricane Alley," rolling the proverbial dice and rebuilding in hopes that they will be spared any more terrible events remains ongoing.
For Gaysport residents, frustration and loss of hope about corrective measures have remained deep-seated as the prospect of permanent resolution has remained elusive.
The Gaysport flooding problem, which cannot be blamed on one entity or group of public officials, took center stage at the Hollidaysburg Borough Council's Oct. 13 meeting. Gerard Nale, a Gaysport resident -- one of several who attended the session -- told the council that "stormwater management needs to be stricter and enforced."
"We are tired of developers using our yards and basements as their stormwater retention ponds," he said.
Nale explained that the increase of development in Blair Township and Hollidaysburg over the past two decades has caused what he described as a "noticeable decrease in the quality of life and the decrease in resale value of our homes," due to the flooding problem.
Nale presented to council a petition signed by dozens of Gaysport residents requesting "relief from the increasing severity and frequency of flooding.," and during the meeting, Hollidaysburg Mayor Joe Dodson voiced the opinion that "the people of Gaysport deserve better."
Councilwoman Michele Baker recommended including the Gaysport issue on future council meeting agendas, but that only will be worthwhile if officials commit to aggressively pursue corrective action.
Corrective measures seem possible with the incoming federal money. New development and common-sense guidelines can exist side by side if they are handled reasonably.
Going forward, that should be the top priority of those trying to correct Gaysport's soggy headache.