HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Corbett said that the worst of the flooding in central and eastern Pennsylvania is over and that authorities are entering the recovery phase of this disaster.
“The people of this state owe a big debt of gratitude to the state police, to local fire, police and ambulance services. I also want to note the exceptional work done by the men and women of our national guard,” said Corbett.
Currently there are 12 unconfirmed deaths in the commonwealth associated with this disaster.
“A combination of planning, quick response and the bravery of our emergency crews has prevented that number from being far higher,” said Corbett.
The governor reminded residents returning to their properties that many serious safety issues exist when re-entering their home. The following advice should be followed during the clean-up effort.
- Do not return to your home until your evacuation order has been lifted.
- Take great care while cleaning up
- Make sure utilities including gas and electric are disconnected before entering your basement
- Call your insurance agent to see what is covered
- Don’t do business with unlicensed contractors, call the Home Improvement Registration Hotline 1-888-520-6680
- Throw out food that has gone through the flood
- Check with local authorities before drinking your tap water
“We are counting on President Obama to recognize this as a major disaster and to issue a declaration saying so. This opens the doors to federal assistance to public agencies and individuals, mostly through the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” said Corbett.
All residents with flood insurance should call their agents now, take photographs of everything inside and out, save all receipts and above all thoroughly check out all contractors you sign on to do work on your property.
At this point, the commonwealth will remain at a level two state emergency.