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This photo shows flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September at a house in Mont Clare. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
A house in the Mont Clare/Port Providence area damaged by floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
In this photo, kayakers maneuver around Mont Clare following flooding in September due to Hurricane Ida. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
The Phoenixville community came together to help neighbors in Mont Clare and Port Providence in the days following flooding due to the remnants of Hurricane Ida. In this photo, residents come to collect items that have been donated. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
A house in the Mont Clare/Port Providence area damaged by floodwaters from the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
The top of a car is visible in flood waters in Mont Clare following the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September. A concert and a broader community relief response assisted storm victims in Mont Clare and Providence Park. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
A banner hung by residents of Mont Clare following the flooding of the community to thank Mont Clare's neighbors in Phoenixville for their assistance. (Photo Courtesy of Karin Williams, Director of the Phoenixville Office of Emergency Management)
Organizers of the Concert for Canal Relief present a check for $44,936 to Open Hearth on Nov. 19 to aid Hurricane Ida flood victims in Mont Clare and Port Providence. Pictured at the Route 29 bridge connecting Phoenixville with the communities are left to right: concert raffle committee members Sonja Wheelan, Jim Neithammer, Ruth Dombroski and Carole Setzler; VFC Inc. President, Todd Palmer; SCA President, Chris Zeliznak; Sly Fox Brewing Co. Sales Manager, Corey Reid; Keystone Land and Sea owner, Tim Swavely; SCA Treasurer, Betsy Daley; and Colonial Theatre Interim Executive Director, Janice Hartmann. (Submitted Photo)
PHOENIXVILLE — When the remnants of Hurricane Ida moved through the region Sept. 1, the storm brought with it flash flooding and tornadoes. The images of the damage caused by the storm will remain in the memories of many people across the region for a long time.
Among the areas hard hit by the storm were the communities of Port Providence and Mont Clare, in Montgomery County — communities that lie across the Schuylkill River from Phoenixville. For those areas — it was a fast-moving flooding event that transformed the lives and households in the canal communities.
In the days following the event, impacted residents received physical and financial help from their neighbors in Phoenixville.
The recovery continues.
When Corey Reid, a former Mont Clare resident saw the extent of the damage he knew he needed to do something. Sales manager for Sly Fox Brewing Co., Reid lived in Mont Clare for five years, and still has family and friends living in the community. He currently lives in Phoenixville.
“I knew most of the people and have been through it myself but not to the same extent. It was my friends and family and I knew what their needs were. Power and water was most important initially,” he said.
While Reid immediately started providing some physical assistance — a generator, water, helping to pump basements — he knew more was needed.
He enlisted his employer’s support as well as that of Sly Fox’s marketing partner, VFC Inc., The Colonial Theatre and the Schuylkill Canal Association.
Within two weeks of the flooding, the Concert for Canal Relief was organized and tickets were on sale. The Oct. 26 concert was held at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville with 100% of the proceeds from the event benefitting the residents of Mont Clare and Port Providence in Upper Providence Township.
The event featured local and regional favorite musical acts including The Holts, Cliff Hillis, Ben Arnold and The Mighty Manatees, all of whom donated their talents. A number of local breweries including Sly Fox, Root Down, Stable 12, Hares Hill, and Rebel Hill donated beer for the event.
In addition to ticket sales and cash donations, businesses donated raffle items to contribute to the total amount raised. Phoenixville Mayor Peter Urscheler organized a silent auction in the Colonial Theatre lobby.
Via an app, concert attendees could make contributions to the effort while they were watching the concert. An onscreen meter showed the donations in real-time.
The concert raised nearly $45,000.
“It was amazing to see communities on both sides of the river come together for a real tangible cause,” Betsy Daley, Schuylkill Canal Association spokesperson, said in a statement. “The damage to homes was very visible and our neighbors and friends were hurting.”
Reid said the final result was “amazing,” and exceeded expectations.
“The overall event was so cool for everyone dealing with cleaning out their houses. It gave them time to get together, share stories and laugh,” Reid said. “It was special seeing everyone that dealt with so much relaxing — even for just a night.”
When it came to administering and distributing the money to those affected, organizers selected Open Hearth in Spring City, and on Nov. 19 presented a check in the amount of $44,936 to Open Hearth.
The donation was incorporated into an already established and active relief effort to aid the flood victims.
According to Karin Williams, executive director of the Phoenixville, office of emergency management, the borough had put together a team at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 — a team that met weekly to respond to community needs. Because that team was already in place, flood response was able to begin immediately.
“When the hurricane hit and we realized the extent, Upper Providence emergency management asked for our help,” Williams said. “In talking to them about their resources — we realized that because of the team, we were able to provide assistance in so many ways.”
One thing that happened early on is that Phoenixville was able to take its mobile COVID vaccine clinic into the area to offer tetanus shots to residents.
An initial estimate of $150,000 needed to help get people in the communities back on their feet turned out to be low.
The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation provided $300,000 to help Mont Clare residents affected by Ida get their systems back up, including electricity, heating, and water, according to Kelly Raggazino, executive director of Open Hearth. In addition, the Jaycees in Phoenixville donated $12,500. Additional funding came from the Philadelphia Foundation and other donations, including the proceeds from the concert, brought the total to nearly $450,000.
To determine the needs and how the money would be distributed, Williams said a survey asked residents what their immediate needs were.
Because people didn’t have water or power and would need new heaters or water heaters, she said “we decided the best focus was on the infrastructure and getting them back into their homes.”
The first round of grants was provided to help with good remediation and electrical needs. With donations still coming in, the second round of distributions took place, focused on providing grants for heaters.
A total of 54 grants were awarded, averaging about $7960. The grant amounts were determined based on individual needs.
In early December, all of the funds had been distributed, and impacted households were notified. A final amount left in the fund was divided equally, with each receiving a $400 Target gift card.
In the letter, a list of resources was provided — resources that are also listed on the www.inthistogetherpxv.com website.
Individual monetary donations can still be made to help residents of the two communities. They can be made to Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) in Phoenixville, https://www.pacsphx.org/, which is providing food assistance and restocking kitchens as people move back into their homes.
Any groups such as neighborhoods, churches, volunteer groups, etc., that would like to assist in a larger capacity, can reach out to the Phoenixville Jaycees through www.InThisTogetherPXV.com.
