European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 9, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wake Home after the flood by Julie Frederickton associated press five years after Hurricane people in Wilkes Barre Divide their in into before the flood and after the the flood left the Pennsylvania City of with More than it billion in with physical and mental scan that still Are readily till never be Sayi Donna a department store sales weve rearranged our House so our valuable furniture is stored on the second the minute the River it All moves up to the attic or out of the Valley to Yon cow sea the ton term effects in says contractor Tom referring to Borri years after Agnes Hurt brought heavy Rains but no flooding la the Wyoming thanks to higher Dlott on the Sas Nehan a i never saw so Nuny rented people were a cling up and getting in the 72 about persons were left homeless in the Susquehanna most were housed in trailers and campers provided by the department of housing and Urban Only three families live in trailers but Mere Are plenty of other the Hood has become an historical psychiatric social worker Warren yamal you can hardly go a Day in this town without hearing someone talk about before in flood or after the a temporary Bridge still spans the  lots and condemned buildings Dot the several streets remain closed to elementary school children attend classes in a temporary quonset hut like the Wilkes Barre Public Square is torn and the Central business District islet leg chamber of Commerce All of the flood related repair is called while larger with  that will allow the Central City to compete shopping Nuny Small businessmen say the Effort has not meant Progress for i dont know been worse for till area the flood or i Many downtown Man the Pozuc Heo Eveton Between redevelopment and they pot me out of about were left homeless after Hurricane Agnes stashed the Wilkes Barre area in it Tii w Wilkes Barre children have been using temporary buildings As classrooms for five years a heart now Hes put a in front of the totally rebuilt House where his our children grew while Lood victims expressed gratitude for the favor Able terms of their special sea disaster Loans 1 per cent interest and a forgiveness Many question the Wisdom of the Federal policy that encouraged renova Tion rather than Federal disaster Loans were responsible for the reconstruction of so Many Homes in the hardest Alt South walk Labarre area that the neigh boyhood is referred to a a government too Many people were forced into massive indebted to reconstruct devastated buildings that  have been in areas where hey would have preferred not to said Fred a regional coordinator for Hud in the disaster Relief and redevelop ment Effort during i that the growth of this area would have been much longer lived had there been More judicious decisions about reuse of the flood residents had to prove that a building bad severe structural damage before the government would buy a property at pro flood value and move it to higher Many residents and merchants Felt they had no Choice but to rebuild their heavily damaged Homes and bust in previous business suffered now deeply in debt to the they resent the election year influx of Urban renewal Grant Money tunnelled largely into the business a recent study showed the do Tel of the heavy Federal and state business leaving Over 40 per cent at the cites property lax the flood victims action which claims More than members in Pennsylvania and new lob bied for legislation to preclude forced rebuilding in the Hood Plain and provide better Long Range flood protect All  did was to pour a lot of Money into a lot a pockets la the Center  july 1977 one the Fiven Ugenti free ride for big business has Only increased our tax our in tatty boat picked and the lot of the average Duvien Holt despite All the Wyoming valleys Resi dents Point with Pride to what they consider one positive effect of the disaster the Strong family and Community i was amazed at the resilience of the said social worker psychologist Carl who studied the psycho tool Cal effects of the 1172 found relatively few Chic most relating to me disruption of the environment in the flood damaged follow up counselling has confirmed the value of Mutual psycho logical support among dood be the support network in some of the hardest hit communities is so Strong that the few who were fortunate enough escape Senous hooding practically feel like a residents still debate whether a similar disaster could happen were Hill live no in a flood says Ander Utt former disaster Relief Oto Dac while in Are growing Man could eat that the River never flood that Way be nose be Bow Nave a couple More feet of to till i think that As  increases up there will be More and More Runoff and sooner or Brier this Valky to Hood Ute worst part i dont think Well survive another contractor Bell also Reorg Niles the put Fitial for another but if it floods Well we All Nave insurance so we  be hit nearly As hard As in the stars and stripes Page 13