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Pennsylvania approved for major disaster relief support

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Pennsylvania’s request for a major disaster declaration was recently approved by President Joe Biden.
As a result, critical federal aid will be made available to those most severely affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida earlier this month.
Local, county and state governments and agencies will have additional money and other resources needed to help some of the state’s hardest hit areas, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and York counties, according to officials.
With damage to Pennsylvania’s roads, bridges and other infrastructure estimated to exceed $117 million, federal aid was largely assumed, as the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s damage threshold is $19.7 million.

Expressing his appreciation for the support, Gov. Tom Wolf said, “Pennsylvanians will now have opportunities to receive financial assistance, which will go a long way toward replacing and restoring their property.”
Part of the aid includes establishing disaster centers, although how many and where has not yet been announced. FEMA staff will be available at the sites, authorities said, to help residents apply for recovery assistance.
Help with home repairs, crisis counseling, unemployment, disaster case management, legal services and other support will be available. The federal government’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will be open to all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, as well as support from the Small Business Administration, officials said.
To apply directly for aid, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or visit the federal government’s Disaster Assistance website.


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