CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners today issued a Declaration of Disaster Emergency due to a water main break, affecting more than 42,000 Pennsylvania American Water customers in the county. The water main break was a result of the remnants of tropical cyclone Debby, which caused extensive flash flooding and impacts to critical infrastructure.
This declaration allows Cumberland County officials to purchase needed supplies, employ temporary workers, and enter into contracts and agreements with vendors without the “time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law.”
According to Pennsylvania American Water, customers affected in the Mechanicsburg system include Camp Hill, Lemoyne, New Cumberland, Shiremanstown, West Fairview and Wormleysburg boroughs, and East Pennsboro, Hampden, Lower Allen, Silver Spring townships, and portions of Middlesex and Upper Allen townships in Cumberland County, as well as portions of Fairview and Newberry townships in York County.
The impact of the water main break caused loss of water pressure to 3 of the 4 acute care facilities within the county. Emergency management measures are required to reduce the severity of this impact and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of affected residents in Cumberland County.
The Cumberland County Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was activated on Friday, August 9, 2024, at 11 p.m. and continues to monitor the situation. The county will continue to work with its partners at Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Public Utility Commission (PUC), and Pennsylvania American Water until the situation is resolved.
Editors’ Note: Declaration of Disaster Emergency below.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY
DECLARATION OF DISASTER EMERGENCY
August 10, 2024
WHEREAS, on August 9, 2024, the remnants of tropical cyclone Debby crossed the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania causing extensive flash flooding and impacts to critical infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, this impact includes a water main break causing loss of water pressure to 3 of the 4 acute care facilities within the county; and
WHEREAS, emergency management measures are required to reduce the severity of this impact and to protect the health, safety and welfare of affected residents in Cumberland County; and
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the undersigned Commissioners of Cumberland County, pursuant to the provisions of Section 7501 of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Service Code, 35 Pa. C.S.A., Section 1701 et seq., do hereby declare the existence of a disaster emergency in Cumberland County, and
FURTHER, we direct the Cumberland County Department of Public Safety to coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster, to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this disaster emergency; and
STILL FURTHER, we authorize officials of Cumberland County to act as necessary to meet the current and anticipated needs of this emergency, namely: by the employment of temporary workers, by the rental of equipment, by the purchase of supplies and materials, and by entering into such contracts and agreements for the performance of public work as may be required to meet the emergency, all without regard to those time-consuming procedures and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements excepted.
This declaration shall take effect immediately.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
