After the flood...damage assessment...

The flood waters have receded and it is now time to begin the recovery and rebuilding phase for those affected by the destructive flood waters that swept our area. Many people are left with questions, wondering where they start and where they can turn for help! We hope to provide some answers to you over the next week and help you recovery and rebuild as quickly as possible!

The most important thing for homeowners, business owners and renters to do right now is report damage to their local municipalities. Even if you are not seeking government assistance because you have insurance, it is still important to report for several reasons! While we have local, state and federal officials out in the streets assessing the situation, they can’t be everywhere and see everything, so anything you can report is helpful! Your reports will help us grasp the severity of the damage in our county. Your damage reports are also an imperative to area when it comes to securing a potential disaster declaration and receiving financial assistance. Your local municipality will compile damage reports and send them on to DPS. We will send reports to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), and PEMA will in turn pass on the information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of a request for a federal disaster declaration. As you go through the recovery phase make sure you photograph and document all damage. Also be sure to save receipts and financial records of all costs you incur during cleanup and rebuilding.

According to the PEMA “If a disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance (IA) is issued, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will staff disaster recovery centers (DRC) in the counties included in the IA declaration. DRCs are one-stop shopping for citizens, where they can get information on every available federal resource in order to recover from the flooding.”

Reporting to your local municipality does not automatically register you for any future assistance. We will keep you posted as we progress through the damage assessment and recovery phase. If we receive a declaration and assistance, we will be sure to post more info on what you need to do to register and apply!