Updated: Phoenixville Declares State of Emergency

Update at 2:25 p.m. on Aug. 27: Borough officials have released the emergency numbers to call to report hurricane-related problems 

Phoenixville Emergency Operations Center (EOC): 610 933-9717

County Emergency Operations Center (EOC):  610 344-5005

Please do not call the borough's main number (610) 933-8801) as this is not staffed.  

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Phoenixville Mayor Leo Scoda has declared a state of emergency for the borough of Phoenixville.

As Hurricane Irene approaches, borough staff members have been busy preparing for potential problems caused by the massive storm.

Borough Manager Jean Krack said while the storm has weakened a bit, Irene is still a threat. Phoenixville officials met Friday evening to discuss plans for dealing with the hurricane.

"At this time, before any possible impact of Irene, it is imperative that, in an abundance of caution, all residents make every effort to prepare for this storm," said Scoda.

The low-lying areas may be asked to evacuate, according to a press release issued by borough staff. Krack explained that those areas are “very few.”

“It’s mostly along the French Creek area,” he said.

To prepare for the storm, employees topped off the fuel on borough vehicles. In battening down the hatches, borough employees also removed all flags and potential flying objects downtown, and canopy on the band shell in Reeves Park was dismantled.

“Anything susceptible to wind damage that we can take down we’ve taken down,” Krack said.

An emergency operations center will be set up at 7 p.m. at Phoenix Hose, Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 on Church Street, according to Krack. One shift of workers will come in at 7 p.m. and work until approximately midnight, when a new shift will come in. A special number, which wasn’t available yet, will also be set up to handle calls from residents.

Krack urged residents to take the storm seriously and call the appropriate numbers if something needs to be reported. The non-emergency number for the police department is 610-933-1180, and the non-emergency number for the fire department is 610-935-4951. If there are downed power lines or power goes out, the number for PECO is 1-800-841-4141.

Krack explained that it’s very unlikely that the borough water supply will be affected. The only way that would occur is if the river crests at the wall of the plant. The last time that occurred, according to Krack, was during Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Now, the borough has interconnects with Aqua PA and American water, so if the borough supply of 9.5 million gallons near Reservoir Park and 1.5 million gallons near the high school was threatened, the borough could rely on those water sources.

In the event of downed trees, Krack said borough staff will be cautious but responsive.

“We’re not going to send guys out in the middle of the storm with chainsaws,” he said. “It’s just too dangerous.”

As a borough manager, Krack said he hasn’t dealt with anything of Hurricane Irene’s caliber. However, when he moved to the area from California, he lost many belongings in the remnants of Hurricane Floyd, he said.

Krack said he’s confident that borough employees in the various departments will be working hard before, during and after the storm.

“They’ll all be a little tired tomorrow at this time, but we have great people,” Krack said. 

He urged residents to be careful during the storm. 

"We're asking people to exercise extreme caution," Krack said.