It is official, Pennsylvania is a disaster area, or at least a few counties are anyway. In a quick response to a request for federal disaster aid for areas of Pennsylvania that received damage from Tropical Storm Irene, President Barack Obama has officially declared a major disaster. The response came after Governor Corbett requested federal aid for many areas of the state that suffered a massive amount of damage from the storm. The move should come as good news for many affected residents.
Why did the President declare Pennsylvania a disaster area?
Since Gov. Tom Corbett formally requested federal disaster aid, the first step in the process is a formal declaration from the president. After that step, the Federal Emergency Management Agency can begin helping communities in need and federal aid can begin to supplement state and local aid. Basically, everyone is following protocol.
What areas of Pennsylvania does the declaration include?
The declaration for federal aid includes five counties: Chester, Northampton, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna. However, additional counties can be added to list once damage evaluations are completed. Also, some money will be available for the entire state to minimize any damage from Irene.
How much damage did the state receive from Irene?
In addition to killing five people in Pennsylvania, four counties alone sustained around $32 million in damage. In addition to that damage in Northampton, Sullivan, Wyoming, and Susquehanna Counties, other areas are still tallying up damage from Irene.
Will the federal aid pay for total repairs and recovery?
The federal aid is more of a way for local areas and some non-profit groups to recover some of the storm related costs. Up to 75 percent of those costs can be covered by the federal money. Since Pennsylvania has been having financial trouble, like many states, the federal money will come in handy repairing and rebuilding damaged areas.
Is this the right call for Pennsylvania?
While Irene certainly made her presence felt in some areas of the state, much of Pennsylvania stayed out of harm's way. Considering the financial position of the state and municipalities, the request and approval for federal aid by Governor Corbett and President Obama is probably the best way to get people back into their homes and basic services restored to proper levels.
Jason Gallagher is a long-time Pennsylvania resident. He has experiences in trends and developments in many regions from having lived in many parts of the Keystone State, and currently resides in the Pittsburgh Area.
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