ASPINWALL, Pa. — When debilitating storms moved through Aspinwall on April 29, many felt unprepared, including some state representatives. On Wednesday, three of them introduced legislation that aims to improve communication when natural disasters strike.
“I told my out-of-town people, ‘get out,’ my employees ‘get out as fast as you can,’ because it turned out to be a lot worse than we imagined,” Debbie McManus said.
McManus has owned and operated an Aspinwall business for 37 years. She and others have seen storms and flooding throughout that time, but nothing quite like this spring.
“We had three major issues with high tension wires on the ground for 10 days and nothing was done,” Aspinwall Mayor Joe Noro said.
Mayor Noro says getting information during that time was extremely difficult.
“If you can’t get information from Allegheny emergency management, that’s a problem,“ he said.
State Rep. Abigail Salisbury (D-34) agrees, which is why she’s joined forces with State Reps. Mandy Steele (D-33) and Valerie Gaydos (R-44) to take action.
“I just want to create a system where it’s easier for the state reps to help our constituents and to relay that information directly to PEMA,” Salisbury said.
On Wednesday, she introduced a bill which would require PEMA to share weather emergency alerts with state legislative offices, creating a direct channel of communication before, during and after natural disasters strike.
“That would enable us to better prepare to be able to deploy and help people in the community,” she said.
Salisbury says the bill already has bipartisan support. There are several steps before this bill goes to the governor.
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