Feds will aid municipalities battling Irene

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.comLuzerne County Reporter

Luzerne County and its municipalities will recoup most of the money spent responding to Tropical Storm Irene because of a federal emergency declaration granted Monday.

Two people climb over the damaged entrance of Route 4 in Killington, Vt, on Tuesday. With roads destroyed and damage everywhere, towns are cut off from the outside world. The weekend storm took inland areas of New England and upstate New York by surprise with its ferocity. The National Guard has been airlifting emergency supplies to stranded communities across Vermont.

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Additional federal aid for repairs and recovery had not been approved as of Tuesday afternoon, though requests were in the works, officials said.

Monday’s declaration, known as “Public Assistance Category B” within the federal government, will cover emergency measures taken before, during and after the storm to save lives, protect public health and safety and prevent damage to property, said Ruth A. Miller, deputy press secretary of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

Some examples of eligible expenses: security forces, construction of temporary levees, sandbagging, road barriers and emergency demolition, Miller said.

The designation will allow local governments and possibly volunteer fire and emergency service organizations to seek reimbursement for overtime costs and the rental of large chippers, bulldozers and dump trucks to remove debris and clear waterways, said Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Director Steve Bekanich.

Bekanich has been rounding up estimates of these costs from the county and local governments, and the tally had exceeded the million-dollar mark by Tuesday morning.

Luzerne County is among 13 counties approved for the federal declaration. To be eligible, state governors must make a recommendation to the president. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett originally recommended 11 counties but added Luzerne and Sullivan counties to the request Monday afternoon.

U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-Lycoming Township, joined Corbett on a flyover of areas impacted by the storm, including parts of Luzerne County, on Monday afternoon, said Marino’s spokeswoman, Renita Fennick.

“They both agreed after seeing the devastation that Luzerne County should definitely be included. The governor insisted on adding Luzerne County to the list,” Fennick said, noting Marino also contacted the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday night to recommend Luzerne County’s inclusion.

Preliminary damage assessments are being completed to determine if the state will be eligible for additional federal funding to repair bridges, public works and debris removal, Miller said.

The state has not received a federal declaration that allows financial assistance or loans to individual citizens and property owners, she said.

Miller urged citizens impacted by the storm to report damages to their municipality – even if they have insurance that will cover some or all repairs – to help the state compile an accurate damage assessment.

“It’s important to note that this is not a means of signing up for assistance or a registry of any sort. This is simply to help us compile accurate and thorough information,” Miller said.

If assistance is approved for citizens, it would likely be low-interest loans, Bekanich said. However, the county must have at least 25 homes or businesses with at least 40 percent of uninsured damage to be eligible, and he does not believe the county will meet this threshold.

“We’re not hearing of a whole lot of damage that would meet that standard at this point, but there are still some homes that haven’t been assessed,” he said.

The federal declaration that was approved is a relief to local governments, he said.

“It’s good news for the county and municipalities because they have tight budgets, and every penny of reimbursement counts,” he said.

Local governments seeking reimbursement will have to work with state and federal emergency management officials to submit project worksheets with detailed records documenting the expenses, including receipts, mileage records and time logs, he said.

Bekanich said he will soon schedule a meeting with local government officials to explain reimbursement procedures.