Upper Dublin Residents Still Trying To Rebuild 8 Months After Hurricane Ida, Tornadoes Swept Across Region
UPPER DUBLIN, Pa. (CBS) -- It's been more than eight months since Hurricane Ida, along with several tornadoes, swept across our area. Many are still working to rebuild from the damage left behind. Neighbors in Upper Dublin tell Eyewitness News that rebuilding is taking too long.
An "X" marked on a home that has boarded-up windows and roofs with tarps essentially means people can't live there until major work is done. Joan Frizzell showed CBS3 inside her home in Upper Dublin as she waits for insurance money to rebuild.
Rooms are missing walls, her ceiling is gone and she says her flooring is warped.
It's been eight months since a deadly tornado hit this part of Montgomery County, its winds whipping as fast as 130 mph.
Frizzell says her insurance company initially provided her with some money to rebuild, with the promise to provide additional funds, but the additional cash has yet to come through.
For now, she and many others wait to one day get enough money to rebuild and get back home.
"There's a lot of repairs that need to happen," Frizzell said. "And I don't know how much I'm gonna get. They were saying you're gonna have more money, but they've been saying that since October."
State Rep. Todd Stephens is taking action to speed up the recovery process.
"It's really disappointing and disheartening and heartbreaking frankly to see the delays that many of these homeowners have experienced," Stephens said.
He's working with the state insurance department to push those invovled in the process to provide these homeowners with the insurance money they believe they're owed.
"Whether it's the adjusters or the companies or anyone else, we just need folks to put a focus on these residents and their claims so they can get on with their claims so that they can get on with their reconstruction," Stephens said.
He says, for now, it looks like insurance companies are responding in the timeframes required by law, but adds if there are changes in the law needed to speed up the process he will work to make that happen.
Officials hosted a special meeting Thursday night with information on how residents can get much-needed help.
Everyone wants to know why it's taking so long to get funds. The goal here is to pinpoint the barriers and issues standing in the way and fast-track a solution to get help.
"It's been frustrating, and it's been a long time," one resident said.
It's been eight months since tornadoes hit Horsham and Upper Dublin. And these people are still trying to rebuild and restore their lives.
"When you look outside it's a constant reminder with all the trees down," a resident said.
Rep. Stephens and State Sen. Maria Collett invited the Pennsylvania Insurance Department to meet with residents inside Maple Glen Elementary School in Ambler and hear their concerns and frustrations with their insurance claims.
"Homeowners are still having a difficult time with their insurance companies to get the payouts that they need in order to rebuild their homes. They have been devastated here," Collett said.
"We just don't know what to do," Susan Moses said.
Moses says her home was destroyed. She is living in temporary housing in the meantime.
"We just want to be compensated for what our policy says that we should be compensated for and we want to get back in our house," Moses said.
Officials say their goal Thursday night was to make sure the Department of Insurance understands that residents have significant concerns with insurance companies.
"They have made complaints to the Department of Insurance and the Department of Insurance is going to investigate the insurers to make sure they are not being slow on purpose, that they are not underbidding on purpose, and that they are really giving these people the relief they have paid for," Collett said.
Lawmakers are trying to make sure this doesn't happen again.
"We as legislators need to take a look at whether or not we have to make changes to our laws so this never happens again. Nobody should be out of their home for eight months," Stephens said.
Many people we spoke to say this meeting did help provide different resources and numbers to call. Lawmakers hope this meeting will help get the ball rolling.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo and Kerri Corrado contributed to this report.
