Gov. Wolf Requests Disaster Declaration After $117M In Storm Damage

PENNSYLVANIA — Citing the vast damage to public infrastructure and homes around the state due to the remnants of Hurricane Ida, Gov. Tom Wolf has requested that President Joe Biden issue a major disaster declaration in Pennsylvania.

Should the President issue such a declaration, it would provide federal funding and services to counties and the state, as well as individuals in certain high-impacted regions.

Pennsylvania's infrastructure suffered roughly $117 million in damages during the storm, state officials estimate. That far exceeds the threshold of $19.7 million in storm damages which the state must show to qualify for this type of help.

“This storm brought historic rainfall and flooding, as well as rare tornadoes, devastating many communities," Gov. Wolf said. "We believe we meet the federal government’s thresholds based on the damage assessments conducted so far, so this request is another necessary step in the process to recover from the impacts of this terrible storm."

The governor's request includes different types of aid, including individual assistance for residents, through funding to local, county, and state agencies, in the southeastern counties that were hardest hit: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York.

Specifically, this assistance would provide residents help ith home repair work, crisis counseling, unemployment counseling, disaster case management, legal services, and more.

The declaration would also make the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program available to all 67 counties in the state, and businesses would qualify for help through the Small Business Administration.

Cleanup from the storm, which brought all-time record flooding to waterways like the Schuylkill River and Perkiomen Creek, saw several tornadoes wreak havoc on homes, businesses, and power lines, and left four dead and countless homeless, remains ongoing.

“PEMA continues to cooperate with FEMA and county officials on damage assessments," Pennsylvania Emergency Management Director Randy Padfield said. "I continue to urge individuals who were impacted by the storm to document all efforts, including taking pictures and videos of the damages and keeping copies of any receipts, all of which will be extremely helpfully in obtaining assistance.”

Wolf's Thursday request follows his own proclamation of disaster emergency back on Aug. 31. That declaration allowed the state to more easily arrange resources to respond to the storm, but is separate from a potential major disaster declaration at the federal level.

You can read the full letter sent to sent to President Biden here.