West Pittston Needs A Levee

15 Years of Studies. $0 in Construction. Where is the West Pittston Levee?

Since Tropical Storm Lee devastated our community in 2011, millions of dollars in state and federal grants have flowed into the borough. Yet, not a single shovel has hit the dirt. We are trapped in a perpetual loop of engineering studies while taxpayers foot the bill and our town and school district faces an economic crisis.

Why Is A Levee Necessary For The Town's Survival?

If West Pittston remains unprotected from flooding as it has been, the below problems will become worse until the town is nearly unrecognizable

Because West Pittston lacks a certified levee, our homeowners are left completely exposed to FEMA's new Risk Rating 2.0 system. Mandatory flood insurance premiums are skyrocketing, averaging an unsustainable 18% increase year over year.The Ripple Effect:Homeowners Trapped: Local families cannot qualify for standard 30-year mortgages because the mandatory monthly flood insurance premium often exceeds the actual principal, interest, and tax payments combined.The Absentee Takeover: As locals are priced out, out-of-state speculative investors are swooping in. They buy depreciated historic homes in cash (completely bypassing federal flood insurance mandates), perform minimal cosmetic remediation, and partition single-family homes into high-density rental units.The Rise of Blight: This aggressive shift from high-pride, owner-occupied dwellings to high-turnover, absentee-landlord rentals is actively eroding the civic fabric of the Garden Village. It drastically strains our municipal code enforcement and brings unwanted blight into our historic districts.

The Flood of 2011

According to the town’s own 2020 feasibility study, a mass floodplain evacuation of all 900+ flood-damaged structures would wipe out $90 million in property value and pull $1.96 million annually from our schools. This would force catastrophic tax hikes on everyone living on higher ground.

When Will The Next Flood Happen?

We have been very fortunate that there has not been a severe flooding event since the 2011 flood. The 2018 ice jam was a very close call with only minor flooding, but it was a real reminder that a catastrophic flood can happen at any time.The mathematical reality indicates a greater than 26% probability that the borough will suffer another total-loss inundation before the year 2040. Furthermore, when factoring in lesser hydrological events—such as 10-year or 25-year floods that do not crest at 42 feet but still cause millions of dollars in localized damage to the lower elevations of the borough—the cumulative risk of severe economic disruption approaches a statistical certainty.A single recurrent event of the 2011 magnitude would unilaterally and irreversibly bankrupt the municipality, as well as the overlapping local school district, by forcing the mass abandonment of property and triggering the total, instantaneous collapse of the real estate tax base.

Statistically, We Will Have Another 2011 Flood In Less Than:

Get Involved

We love West Pittston. This is our home, where we raise our families and run our businesses. We are not here to cause chaos, stir the pot, or create unnecessary political division. Our mission is strictly grounded in data, safety, and the long-term financial survival of our borough.We believe that an informed public is a strong public. Our only goal is to pull the curtain back on the numbers, get the facts out into the open, and get the citizens of West Pittston actively engaged in the future of our town.Nearly 15 years ago, our community was given a definitive promise. Following the devastating floods of 2011, we were told that our historic neighborhoods, families, and properties would be protected by a permanent structural levee system.Since that day, millions of dollars in state and federal grant funding have entered the municipal ecosystem. Yet, a decade and a half later, there is still zero physical protection to show for it.This isn't about finger-pointing—it is about municipal accountability. We are simply asking our elected officials to deliver on the commitments made to this community. We can no longer afford to accept endless preliminary studies while our property values face structural risks and our local tax base erodes.3 Ways to Take Action TodayStay Informed: Knowledge is our greatest tool. Review the public records, Right to Know invoices, and financial data compiled on this site so you can speak confidently about the facts.Show Up and Ask Questions: Attend local borough council and school board meetings. You don't need to be loud or confrontational—just be present. Ask direct, civil questions about the status of flood mitigation grants and where the funding is being allocated.Spread the Word: Help us break through the silence. Share this website and our Facebook page with your neighbors, local tenants, and fellow business owners. The more taxpayers who understand the math, the harder it becomes for leadership to ignore the problem.The Bottom Line: We are looking for solutions, not arguments. If you want to help protect the financial and structural foundation of the Garden Village, join us in demanding a clear, actionable path forward.

What Has Our Tax Money Been Spent On So Far?

We are compiling documents through Right To Know requests and compiling data to find where the money that has been spent on our levee project over the past 15 years has gone, and what the next steps are to get the levee built.

Click The Button Below To View The Documentation We Have Currently

• View Documents

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