FEMA announces disaster assistance for Pennsylvania counties impacted by Tropical Storm Debby

Update (9/12): Pennsylvania State Representative Clint Owlett has released a statement in response to the disaster assistance that was approved for the Commonwealth by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, The White House and FEMA announced that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had been issued a major disaster declaration by the Biden administration, which will allow disaster assistance funds to be made available to people and businesses in Tioga, Potter, Lycoming and Potter counties who were impacted by the storms on Aug. 9 and 10.

In response to this announcement, Owlett released the following statement:

“This is outstanding news for our region and the thousands of people impacted by the extreme flooding brought on by Tropical Storm Debby,” Owlett said. “I commend the Tioga County commissioners, Tioga County PA Emergency Services, dedicated first responders, business owners and citizens for making this happen by being diligent in reporting the damages they incurred to accurately demonstrate to the federal government the immense need in our communities.

“This aid will make a big difference as people look to repair and rebuild their properties. Now I will be turning my full attention to enacting policies that will allow us to better manage our creeks and streams to protect our citizens and communities from such intense flooding events in the future.”

Pa. ( WETM ) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced federal assistance for those in Pennsylvania counties impacted by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby in August.

FEMA’s announcement comes after President Joe Biden approved a Disaster Declaration for Pennsylvania, which allows taxpayer-funded assistance to be distributed to those in Tioga, Potter, Lycoming and Potter counties that were affected by the storms and flooding on Aug. 9 and 10.

Disaster assistance available includes grants for housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help people and business owners to recover from the effects of the disaster.

The Federal Coordinating Officer for recovery operations in the affected areas has been named Mark K. O’Hanlon. Other designations may be made in the future if needed.

Those who need assistance in the affected areas listed above can begin applying for assistance by registering online at disasterassistance.gov , calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or using the FEMA app . Those who use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others should give FEMA the number for that service when calling.

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