The coldest weather of the winter is on the way and now some residents of one Harrisburg block are forced out of there homes because they don't have water, gas or sewer service because of sinkholes.
The Red Cross has set up a shelter, but so far not many residents are taking advantage of it.
It is a lousy way to start the New Year, after finding a letter from Robert Philbin, the Mayor's Director of Communications, in your mailbox advising that you evacuate your home.
“I'm staying here, I pay rent here I'm staying here,” Byron Chisholl told us.
Tuesday night, there is a Red Cross shelter set up almost within the shadow of the Capitol, but many on Fourth Street are not ready to leave their homes.
“I'm not going to the church with a bunch of different people that I don't know, I don't play that,” Chisholl continued.
Many Harrisburg residents living in the very area remember the nightmare of being evacuated back in the flood of 2011, now that nightmare is real again for those who live in the 2100 block of North Fourth Street.
The reason is not the weather, but the infrastructure and an enormous sink hole.
“No heat, no water, where is Linda Thompson at,” questioned Kim Harmon. “Isn't she supposed to be involved in the city actions or something.”
A cascade of events caused this problem, apparently over the weekend a snow plow slightly moved a metal plate covering the street causing a 6 ton trash truck to fall into the first hole Monday morning. This in turned caused the second, much larger hole that opened up Monday night cutting off the utility service.
“We've got blankets,” is what a few kids told us when we asked if they have heat.
This is not a mandatory evacuation and clearly many are determined to stay in their homes.
But if the cold and inconvenience becomes too much, the Red Cross is ready and waiting to help with a shelter at the Pine Street Presbyterian Church.
“We have cots set up just so the folks have a place to come,” American Red Cross volunteer Eric Gettler told us.
The UGI crew on the scene told us that they hope to have the gas back on by midnight, but then would still need to stay to backfill the trenches. There is no word on how long it will take to get water and sewer service returned to the street.
Not many are taking advance of the Red Cross Shelter, at last check four people were there seeking shelter, but there have been calls from others who may be on the way.
We reached out Tuesday night in several different ways to the Mayor's Director of communications and he has not gotten back us.
As big as these sink holes are, for the main one it is almost like a cavern under the asphalt, there is nothing supporting the street for many feet under the asphalt from where the cave-in ends, which tells us this is a problem that has been a long time in the making.
It also makes you wonder just how safe are the streets in Harrisburg.
The Red Cross has set up a shelter, but so far not many residents are taking advantage of it.
It is a lousy way to start the New Year, after finding a letter from Robert Philbin, the Mayor's Director of Communications, in your mailbox advising that you evacuate your home.
“I'm staying here, I pay rent here I'm staying here,” Byron Chisholl told us.
Tuesday night, there is a Red Cross shelter set up almost within the shadow of the Capitol, but many on Fourth Street are not ready to leave their homes.
“I'm not going to the church with a bunch of different people that I don't know, I don't play that,” Chisholl continued.
Many Harrisburg residents living in the very area remember the nightmare of being evacuated back in the flood of 2011, now that nightmare is real again for those who live in the 2100 block of North Fourth Street.
The reason is not the weather, but the infrastructure and an enormous sink hole.
“No heat, no water, where is Linda Thompson at,” questioned Kim Harmon. “Isn't she supposed to be involved in the city actions or something.”
A cascade of events caused this problem, apparently over the weekend a snow plow slightly moved a metal plate covering the street causing a 6 ton trash truck to fall into the first hole Monday morning. This in turned caused the second, much larger hole that opened up Monday night cutting off the utility service.
“We've got blankets,” is what a few kids told us when we asked if they have heat.
This is not a mandatory evacuation and clearly many are determined to stay in their homes.
But if the cold and inconvenience becomes too much, the Red Cross is ready and waiting to help with a shelter at the Pine Street Presbyterian Church.
“We have cots set up just so the folks have a place to come,” American Red Cross volunteer Eric Gettler told us.
The UGI crew on the scene told us that they hope to have the gas back on by midnight, but then would still need to stay to backfill the trenches. There is no word on how long it will take to get water and sewer service returned to the street.
Not many are taking advance of the Red Cross Shelter, at last check four people were there seeking shelter, but there have been calls from others who may be on the way.
We reached out Tuesday night in several different ways to the Mayor's Director of communications and he has not gotten back us.
As big as these sink holes are, for the main one it is almost like a cavern under the asphalt, there is nothing supporting the street for many feet under the asphalt from where the cave-in ends, which tells us this is a problem that has been a long time in the making.
It also makes you wonder just how safe are the streets in Harrisburg.