Federal emergency management officials said they'll demolish dozens of damaged and flood-prone properties in eastern and central Pennsylvania.

FEMA announced that it's spending $7.1 million to acquire 94 structures affected by historic flooding last year.

The properties sit in flood hazard areas in eight counties. They'll be torn down, returning the areas to open space in perpetuity.

Property owner participation in the program is voluntary. The structures are located in Columbia, Dauphin, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Schuylkill, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.

More than $700,000 of the money will be spent to buy 13 properties in the borough of Pine Grove, Schuylkill Co., which was hard hit by flooding last year, FEMA said.

Gov. Tom Corbett visited the area in October to get a firsthand look at the devastation caused by the flooding.

FEMA will spend more than $1.5 million in Lebanon County, buying 12 properties in Annville Township, two in North Annville Township and three in Swatara Township.

Eighteen people died and tens of thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The funding represents 15% of the total federal cost of the response and recovery, FEMA said. An estimated $66 million is expected to be available to Pennsylvania for the property acquisition program as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.

The project is funded 75% by FEMA, with an additional 22% from the state of Pennsylvania and the balance from other non-federal sources.