WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has requested a formal federal Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment in search of federal aid for costs related to last month’s severe snowstorm in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Wolf also plans to request a Presidential Declaration of Disaster Emergency pending the formal assessment.
“We are asking the federal government to formally review damage costs to determine if counties and communities in the Northeast may be eligible for federal aid,” Wolf said in an emailed news release. “PEMA has worked hand-in-hand with the Federal Emergency Management Agency since the storm began and will continue to make every effort toward getting a Presidential Declaration to get federal aid to these communities.”
Preliminary estimates supplied by counties to PEMA and reviewed informally by FEMA suggest the region may not reach thresholds. A formal FEMA review will confirm whether or not the federal government will reimburse counties and communities.
However, even if formal assessments do not show counties meeting the threshold, Wolf may still request a Presidential Declaration in hopes that the severity of the storm may grant Northeastern Pennsylvania special status to get relief.
Legislators comment
State Sen. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Township, said he was pleased that Wolf is seeking federal assistance for Northeastern Pennsylvania communities that were hit hardest by Winter Storm Stella.
“I also encourage the administration to work constructively with the legislature to fund and expand Pennsylvania’s Public Disaster Assistance Program that could be a significant help to municipalities who struggle to deal with a local disaster in absence of federal funds,” Yudichak said.
Last week, Yudichak sent a letter to PennDOT and PEMA, encouraging them to seek financial assistance for NEPA communities.
In his letter to Richard Flinn Jr., PEMA director, Yudichal noted that Luzerne County was one of the hardest hit areas in the commonwealth, amassing over two feet of snow during the storm.
He said despite the magnitude of the storm in Luzerne County, the commonwealth did not meet the Federal Emergency Management Agency “distasteful threshold of $18.2 million.”
“As a result, many Luzerne County communities are now faced with extraordinary storm-related expenses that will strain already tight municipal budgets,” Yudichak wrote. “Luzerne County’s cleanup cost for Winter Storm Stella exceeded over $2.7 million — accounting for more than a third of the commonwealth’s total of $7.7 million. In the City of Wilkes-Barre, a city on the verge of Act 47 distressed status, over $600,000 was spent on snow removal.”
Yudichak said he understands that state funds are limited and that funding for Act 187 of 2014 has been eliminated, but he further stated he feels it’s important for PEMA to engage in discussions with FEMA on ways to help counties who exceed their own damage thresholds, but fail to qualify for assistance.
State Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, said she appreciates Wolf’s efforts to determine whether the region is eligible for federal disaster relief funds.
“The damage sustained from last month’s Winter Storm Stella impacted thousands of residents, structures, local businesses and infrastructure,” Boback said. “Disaster relief assistance would provide a substantial benefit to the people of Northeast Pennsylvania — many of whom are still feeling the impacts of the severe storm.”
State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, said he “completely supports” Wolf for exploring every possible federal avenue to request assistance in addressing the enormous cost for the snow removal caused by the severe March snow storm.
“Due to a variety of conditions, including the timing of the storm and the excessive amount of snow received over a short period of time, our municipalities surplus materials and funds were quickly depleted creating a serious financial deficit to our affected communities,” Pashinski said. “I believe the damage assessment will show that federal assistance is definitely warranted and hopefully relief will be on the way in the near future. “
Last week, U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta urged Wolf to request that President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration to help communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania recover from a recent crippling snowstorm.
Barletta, R-Hazleton, sent Wolf a letter asking him to officially request that the president issue a major disaster declaration to release federal funding.
“As you know, parts of Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Luzerne, Wyoming, Montour, and Northumberland counties, which I represent, received more than 30 inches of snowfall,” Barletta wrote. “The affected areas struggled to clear major roads and intersections, which prevented the movement of emergency vehicles and presented a major safety issue for residents.”
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