HARRISBURG, Pa. — Communities across south-central Pa. are left to clean up the damage after remnants of Debby swept through the region.
“It’s never really been this bad since ’72," said Emory Delbo, who lives on Derry Street in Harrisburg.
In Harrisburg, neighbors were woken up around 4:30 a.m. on Friday to the sound of strong storms making their way through the city. The storm knocked down trees and power lines in several neighborhoods.
“The rain came down heavy and there were heavy winds," said Breyana Holland, who lives on Derry Street. "But the thing that caught my attention was that I could feel my house shake.”
“It was really loud, then it got really quiet," said Delbo. "That’s when the power went out, so I went outside and everything was really chaotic.”
The storm even ripped part of the roof off the Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church, leaving a gaping hole in the church office ceiling. Hank Johnson, the senior pastor, said this was the most intense storm he’d seen in Harrisburg.
“It’s madness," said Pastor Johnson. "We live in Central Pennsylvania and it’s not really a place for tornados or twisters.”
Pastor Johnson said the damage will temporarily prevent the church from providing key community services, such as its food pantry and free medical clinics.
“Church will be fine. We’ll figure out how to meet online; we’ve done that through COVID," he said. "But a lot of stuff we’re doing for the community will have to be halted because we don’t have a space.”
The church is working to get ahold of their insurance to get a full assessment of the storm damage. Despite the setback, church leaders say they will work to get back on their feet as soon as possible.
“The church will be good because God is good," said Pastor Johnson.