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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Phyllis Mundy
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Flood victims should document property damage
KINGSTON, Sept. 12 -- State Rep. Phyllis Mundy is encouraging residents to document flood damage to their property with photographs and detailed information to help with assessments that could lead to federal assistance.
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is asking individuals and businesses to report damages and losses to municipal officials. Each municipality will collect damage reports from residents and report them to counties for submission to PEMA. PEMA compiles the totals and forwards them to Federal Emergency Management Agency to be considered as part of the state’s request for a federal disaster declaration.
"In addition, we expect local, county, state and federal teams to conduct damage assessments as soon as it is safe to do so," said Mundy, D-Luzerne. "They will need that information if there is a federal disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance."
Individual Assistance is made up of a number of federal programs designed to help citizens get back on their feet. It can include funds to repair damages, replace major appliances or pay for temporary housing. There is no state disaster assistance program.
If there is a federal disaster declaration that includes Individual Assistance, FEMA and PEMA will release information with instructions on how to apply. Citizens will be able to apply over the phone or Internet.
FEMA will also staff disaster recovery centers in the counties included in the Individual Assistance declaration. The recovery centers would offer information on every available federal resource to recover from the flooding.
Meanwhile, residents can begin the repair and recovery process, but they should keep copies of any receipts from repairs.
In addition, Mundy said it is expected that assessment teams will examine damages for federal Public Assistance, which applies primarily to infrastructure damages for local, county and state governments and certain nonprofits.
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