Pennsylvania
New tax breaks, grants and assistance: Pa. task force makes recommendations on flood insurance
Monday’s report recommends Pennsylvania put in place stronger disclosure requirements so homebuyers know whether they’ll need flood insurance before buying a property, consider flood resilience when crafting its building code and create new state tax deductions for flood insurance payments and tax credits for home renovations that lower flood risk.
“We want to encourage people to do what they need to do to make their homes more resilient,” Santarsiero said.
The report also recommends the creation of a new state office that would help municipalities enroll in a FEMA program known as the Community Rating System, which rewards municipalities for flood mitigation and communication efforts with flood insurance discounts for residents.
Across the country, more than 1,500 municipalities earn discounts for their residents through the program. Only two dozen municipalities in Pennsylvania participate.
The task force heard a “common frustration with the complexity, length of time, and extensive resources necessary” to enroll in the program, according to the report.
It also recommends the state offer more grants to municipalities to help them fund floodplain management activities that would allow them to join the Community Rating System, maintain participation or earn deeper discounts for residents.
State Rep. Dave Zimmerman, a Republican representing parts of Lancaster and Berks counties who sat on the task force, said he’d like to see municipalities have the resources to elevate or even buy out flood-prone properties.
“If we’re going to have this ongoing flooding, and insurance fixing it, and then flooding again — at some point if we don’t raise up these properties a little bit, maybe they need to be just taken away,” he said.
Most flood insurance in the U.S. is provided by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, but Pennsylvania’s private market has been expanding, with the number of private flood insurance policies in the state growing more than ten-fold between 2016 and 2023, according to the task force report.
State Senator Lisa Baker, a Republican whose district includes part of Luzerne County — the county in Pennsylvania with the most federal flood insurance policies, according to FEMA data — sat on the taskforce. She noted in a press release Monday that in some states, homeowners insurance companies have pulled out or restricted coverage.
“The frequency of high damage events and the rising costs of recovery efforts are roiling insurance markets,” she said. “This is a crucial juncture for us to consider some fundamental changes before our situation deteriorates into crisis.”
Several of the recommendations would require the General Assembly pass new legislation. Sen. Santarsiero said he hopes to leverage the participation of both Republicans and Democrats on the task force to garner bipartisan support for any such bills.
“We’ve agreed that we want to work together,” Rep. Zimmerman said.
State Rep. Perry Warren, whose district includes Upper Makefield where flash flooding killed seven people last summer, said in a statement he looks forward to supporting legislation that would implement the group’s recommendations.
Crews battle blaze on salvage barge in Delaware bay
Crews battled a blaze on a salvage barge in the Delaware Bay Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported. 3/10/26
Delaware, Pennsylvania, and federal agencies have been responding to a barge fire in the Delaware Bay.
The barge, which is carrying salvage metal, is being moved to shallow water so it can be secured, allowing on-scene responders to extinguish the fire and complete salvage operations, according to a March 10 statement from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.
No injuries have been reported as of 1:15 p.m.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is on scene to perform air monitoring, the statement said.
Responding agencies include the Wilmington Fire Department, Good Will, Leipsic Volunteer, Bowers and South Bowers fire companies. Also there are Delaware State Police, DNREC, New Castle County Office of Emergency Management, Kent County Department of Public Safety, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.
The Philadelphia Fire Department was enroute.
This is a developing story. Check back with delawareonline.com for more information.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (PIAA) – March 10, 2026
The 2026 Pennsylvania high school girls basketball state playoffs begin on Tuesday, March 10, with second-round games for all divisions.
High School On SI has brackets for every division in the PIAA high school girls basketball playoffs. The state championships begin on March 19th.
Pennsylvania High School Girls Basketball 2026 Playoff Brackets, Schedule (PIAA) – March 10-11, 2026
CLASS 1A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
New Covenant Christian vs. Delaware County Christian – 03/11
Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy vs. Benton – 03/11
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional vs. Motivation – 03/11
Linville Hill vs. Southern Fulton – 03/11
Williamsburg vs. Elk County Catholic – 03/11
Farrell vs. Bishop Carroll – 03/11
Clarion-Limestone vs. Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy – 03/11
Bishop Guilfoyle vs. Aquinas Academy – 03/11
CLASS 2A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Shalom Christian Academy vs. Southern Columbia Area – 03/10
Faith Christian vs. Mountain View – 03/10
Wyoming Seminary College Prep vs. Marian Catholic – 03/10
York Catholic vs. Berlin Brothersvalley – 03/10
Neshannock vs. Penns Manor – 03/10
Kennedy Catholic vs. Keystone – 03/10
Bishop McCort vs. Chartiers-Houston – 03/10
Winchester Thurston vs. Wilmington Area – 03/10
CLASS 3A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Imhotep Charter vs. Holy Redeemer – 03/10
Pequea Valley vs. Schuylkill Haven – 03/10
Hughesville vs. Notre Dame-Green Pond – 03/10
Dunmore vs. Executive Education Academy – 03/10
Trinity vs. Troy – 03/10
Northwestern vs. Greensburg Central Catholic – 03/10
Shady Side Academy vs. Beaver Falls – 03/10
Central Cambria vs. Karns City – 03/10
CLASS 4A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Susquehanna Township vs. Universal Audenried Charter School – 03/11
Scranton Prep vs. Allentown Central Catholic – 03/11
Central Columbia vs. Villa Joseph Marie – 03/11
Valley View vs. Neumann-Goretti – 03/11
Delone Catholic vs. Penn Cambria – 03/11
Slippery Rock vs. Oakland Catholic – 03/11
Belle Vernon vs. Blackhawk – 03/11
North Catholic vs. Harbor Creek – 03/11
CLASS 5A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Lampeter-Strasburg vs. Mt. St. Joseph Academy – 03/11
Marple Newtown vs. Crestwood – 03/11
Bethlehem Catholic vs. Villa Maria Academy – 03/11
North Pocono vs. Archbishop Wood – 03/11
York Suburban vs. TBD – 03/11
Peters Township vs. Manheim Central – 03/11
South Fayette vs. Penn-Trafford – 03/11
Baldwin vs. Indiana – 03/11
CLASS 6A BRACKET (select to view bracket)
Second Round
Upper Dublin vs. Perkiomen Valley – 03/10
Hazleton vs. Parkland – 03/10
Easton vs. Red Lion – 03/10
Downingtown West vs. Archbishop Carroll – 03/10
Wilson vs. Cardinal O’Hara – 03/10
Pennsbury vs. Altoona – 03/10
Dallastown vs. Emmaus – 03/10
Canon-McMillan vs. Taylor Allderdice – 03/10
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