HARRISBURG – Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced that the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency reimbursed nearly $2.3 million to the commonwealth, local governments and certain nonprofit organizations to pay for costs associated with the Feb. 5-11 snowstorms.
“PEMA set a goal to have money to the applicants within 30 days after the Federal Emergency Management Agency released the funds,” said Rendell. “Thanks to the hard work and cooperation among those two agencies and the Office of Administration, the Office of Budget and the state Treasury, that money is being turned around in under 10 business days.”
To date, the commonwealth has paid out $2,273,814. The governor said that FEMA continues to review applications for reimbursement, a process that will continue over the coming weeks and months.
A federal disaster declaration issued in April opened the door for millions of dollars in federal funds to reimburse the costs of dealing with record-setting or near-record snowfall in 26 counties. Preliminary cost assessments estimated that as much as $50 million could be reimbursed to eligible applicants under the Public Assistance Program. In addition, several million dollars more is available in hazard mitigation funds to prevent damage from future storms.
“It takes a tremendous amount of time review all of the documentation associated with these applications, and the agencies involved in the process have been working very hard to make sure applicants get their funding as quickly as possible,” Rendell said.
Citizens can better prepare for emergencies of all types by creating home and vehicle emergency kits with basic supplies. Downloadable checklists, as well as other valuable emergency preparedness information, are available online.