Governor Rendell Signs Disaster Emergency Proclamation; Requests Federal Aid for...

Governor Rendell Signs Disaster Emergency Proclamation; Requests Federal Aid
for Allegheny, Westmoreland Counties

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell
today asked President Barack Obama to authorize federal disaster aid that will
help families and businesses in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties recover
from a series of devastating storms that moved through the region earlier this
month.

The Governor made his request after declaring a disaster in the two counties
today.

In his letter to President Obama, Governor Rendell asserted that the magnitude
of the damage is beyond the response capabilities of the state and affected
local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary. If
approved, the disaster aid will enable state, county and municipal governments
to respond to the damage and help families and businesses recover and rebuild
their lives.

"The severe damage from these prolonged, torrential rains affected countless
homeowners and businesses," said Governor Rendell. "The Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania is doing everything possible to help these individuals and
communities recover, but we need the federal government's help, as well."

The Governor's disaster proclamation, which is the official declaration
document, authorizes state agencies to use all available resources and
personnel, as necessary, to deal with this emergency. The time-consuming bid
and contract procedures normally prescribed by law are waived for the duration
of the proclamation.

A preliminary damage assessment was conducted in the two counties prior to the
Governor submitting the letter requesting federal disaster relief. Governor
Rendell's letter emphasizes that the storm's estimated costs are expected to
grow as assessments continue and repairs and restorations begin.

The state's Emergency Operations Center in Harrisburg was activated to
coordinate response to support the areas affected by the storm systems. The
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has maintained communications and
continues to work with the affected counties, state, federal and local
agencies and non-governmental entities involved in this disaster.

For a high resolution photo of the Governor signing the disaster declaration,
visit
http://www.pa.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_72471_3065_551869_43/http%3B/pubcontent.state.pa.us/publishedcontent/publish/cop_general_government_operations/governor_site/governor_more_information/images/rendell_signs_disaster_dec.jpg

More information on disaster assistance in Pennsylvania is available at
www.pema.state.pa.us; click on "Disaster Assistance and Updates" in the
left-hand column.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The text of the Governor's request letter to the President
follows:

June 29, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Through:
Mr. Jonathan Sarubbi
Regional Administrator
FEMA Region III
615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Dear Mr. President:

Under the provisions of Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief
and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. sections 5121-5206 ("Stafford Act")
and implemented by Title 44 CFR section 206.36, I request that you declare a
major disaster for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, due to a series of storms
that began on May 28, 2009 and are continuing, which caused the National
Weather Service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to receive numerous reports of
damaging hail, downed power lines and trees, wind damage, severe
thunderstorms, funnel and wall clouds, and flash flooding. As a result of
these storms that swept across Pennsylvania during that time period many
reports of flooding, soil saturation, and mud slides were received by the
National Weather Service and county and municipal emergency management
agencies. On June 29, 2009, I issued a disaster proclamation for Allegheny
and Westmoreland counties.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has been monitoring storm
developments through periodic updates from the National Weather Service,
damage estimates provided to the State Emergency Operations Center by
counties, media reports, and reports submitted by the staff located in the
PEMA Area offices. This information has been reviewed and substantiated by
the staff of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency
Management Agency Region III, and the Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation at
PEMA.

The period starting May 1 through June 30, 2009, has been listed by the
National Weather Service as the fifth wettest season on record and, combined
with the topography and geological formations of the Commonwealth, resulted in
severe flash flooding in the communities of: Churchill, Forest Hills,
Monroeville, North Versailles, Pitcarin, Pittsburgh, Shaler, Turtle Creek,
White Oak, Wilkins Township, Wilkinsburg, Moon Township, Edgewood, and North
Braddock in Allegheny County. The municipalities of Export, Greensburg,
Hempfield, Jeannette, Manor, Murraysville, North Huntingdon, Penn Borough,
Penn Township, Youngwood, Youngstown, Derry, Irwin, Mt. Pleasant, and Unity in
Westmoreland County were also affected. I am continuing to receive reports
from municipal and county emergency management agencies regarding the effects
of this ongoing weather pattern.

The most severe impact of these storms occurred on June 16 and 17 in Allegheny
and Westmoreland counties. Reference Enclosure F.

In Allegheny County, urban streets were inundated by flash flooding, vehicles
were moved end-over-end, and dumpsters were washed away and crashed into
building foundations. The water velocity broke a flood gauge located atop a
13-foot wall on Nine Mile Run where waters topped the wall and moved jersey
barriers on the roadway. The storm caused the Thompson Run stream gauge to go
from .59 feet to 11.34 feet in a four hour period.

This occurred in one of Allegheny County's most devastated communities where
55% of the occupants are residents of dwellings with basements that contained
washers, dryers, furnaces, electrical boxes, and numerous personal items.

The majority of the Westmoreland County flooding also occurred in urban
settings. In addition to many damaged vehicles, there was a significant loss
to personal property and structure damage reported.

The June 16-17 event followed a series of storms that began on May 28, 2009,
in which homes, businesses, hospitals, and infrastructure sustained damages in
York, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks counties. Although damage amounts did
not meet disaster threshold criteria, the traumatic impact on lives,
interruption and loss to businesses, the impact on health care, and damages to
municipal and state infrastructure was significant. This devastation placed
additional burdens on family and governmental budgets.

In response to the situation, I took appropriate action on June 16, 2009, and
directed the execution of the State Emergency Operations Plan and instructed
various state agencies to respond to and assist the counties to help their
impacted citizens.

On June 17, residents and business owners started calling their local
emergency management agencies to report the devastation received to their
homes and businesses in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

All facets of life in these communities were impacted by the storms as homes
and businesses were damaged and destroyed. The affected areas are low income
and have a significant number of elderly. Many of the impacted homes received
up to 7.5 feet of storm water in their homes during the June 16-17, 2009
event, demonstrating a significant impact from this storm on furnaces,
electrical systems and the loss of personal belongings. Much of the damages
sustained are either not insured or are underinsured. The extent of
additional damages from mold and mildew and related health issues will be a
major concern as these storms continue to converge on the area.

In Allegheny County, there were three shelters opened serving more than 60
persons. There are 52 persons housed in hotels. The American Red Cross
delivered more than 700 clean-up kits to affected areas and processed casework
for 18 families (60 people) who were displaced and unable to return to their
homes.

The following services were provided:

-- Allegheny County Health and Human Services reported caring for
approximately 30 special needs individuals.
-- Allegheny County opened a Disaster Service Center that was in
operation
from June 22-25.
-- The Salvation Army reports expenses of approximately $275,000 on the
June 16-17 response, an amount that exhausted all of the
organization's funds. These funds were used to provide direct
assistance in the form of gift cards from Giant Eagle Food stores and
Walmart.
-- The Salvation Army opened a service center in Turtle Creek where
assistance was provided to nearly 700 families, 1,000 clean-up kits
were
distributed and 3,000 meals were served.
-- The local mental health organization provided crisis counseling; the
Aging Office provided assistance to senior adults with unmet needs;
and
American Red Cross provided interim hotel accommodations.

-- The volunteer organizations have generously responded to community
needs
to the point of exhausting all available resources.

The communities impacted by the storm are generally blue-collar, working class
communities who have experienced the pain of economic downsizing. The largest
community in the impacted counties is the City of Pittsburgh in Allegheny
County, which is listed as a distressed community under Pennsylvania's
Financially Distressed Municipalities Act. This indicates a municipality is
in dire fiscal straights.

In Allegheny County, 16.9% of the population is over the age of 65, 80% of the
inhabitants of the destroyed, major and minor damaged properties are low
income, with only 1% having flood insurance coverage. The unemployment rate
in Allegheny County is in excess of six-percent. In Westmoreland County, 78%
of the inhabitants of the destroyed, major and minor damaged properties are
low income, with only 18.75% having flood insurance; the unemployment rate is
in excess of eight-percent.

In Westmoreland County, four shelters were opened serving 92 persons. Two
hospitals were impacted by the storm. Excela Health Westmoreland in the City
of Greensburg and Excela Health Jeannette in the City of Jeannette both
sustained flood damages that were cleaned by hospital staff without the need
for evacuations or patient transfers. A third hospital reported caring for
approximately six special needs individuals. In addition, response efforts
were provided by Red Cross, the Salvation Army, 117 fire departments, and
multiple volunteer faith-based groups.

The unemployment rate in Westmoreland County exceeds eight percent and the
economy was further eroded by the storm when a local company, OMNOVA, was
forced to layoff 150 employees as a result of the flooding. The company has
reportedly sustained approximately $1,000,000 in uninsured losses. A second
major employer, DURABOND, reported approximately $1,000,000 of potentially
uninsured loss in addition to another $250,000 in damages to the Turtle Creek
Railroad operated by the industry as part of its manufacturing process. Scott
Electric reported approximately $250,000 in losses when flood waters ravished
their wire warehouse. There was also a carpet business employing 30
individuals that closed because of storm damages. These industrial losses
have a domino impact on the economy and tax base at all levels of government.

The emotional and economic impact on survivors is presenting the need for
additional crisis counseling services in the flood areas.

There were additional losses sustained by the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation in the June 16-17 storm event in Allegheny, Westmoreland, and
Somerset counties. These losses must be incurred by the Commonwealth during a
time of decreased revenues and a challenging effort to maintain a balanced
budget as required by law. As a result, monies earmarked for other critical
infrastructure projects will need to be diverted to cover these emergency
expenses.

On June 23, 2009, I requested a joint federal, state, and local survey of the
damaged structures in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. These preliminary
assessments were conducted on June 25 and 26.

I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that
effective response is beyond the capabilities of the Commonwealth and the
affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is
necessary. I am specifically requesting Individual Assistance including the
Individuals and Household Program (IHP); Other Needs Assistance (ONA);
Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA); Disaster Legal Assistance (DLA);
Crisis Counseling; U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans;
and associated programs to assist the victims of Allegheny and Westmoreland
counties and for Hazard Mitigation statewide. I reserve the right to request
additional counties to be included in this disaster in the event that
additional damages are reported from the storm and also to seek a Public
Assistance declaration should damage reports indicate the need.

Preliminary estimates of the types and amount of assistance needed under the
Stafford Act are tabulated in Enclosure A. Estimated requirements for
assistance from certain federal agencies under other statutory authorities are
tabulated in Enclosure C. State agency activities in response to the storms
are outlined in Enclosure E.

Our State General Assembly and Congressional delegations are deeply concerned
over the tremendous negative economic impact on those residing within these
already economically depressed areas and have pledged their support to seek
any and all available federal assistance.

The following information is furnished on the nature and amount of State and
local resources that have been or will be used to alleviate the conditions of
this disaster:

-- Commonwealth and local service providers will be required to address
the
personal and emotional hardships of victims and their families, which
is
compounded by the fact that many will not have the financial resources
available to them because of the inability to secure loans and funding
to repair or rebuild their homes and lives. Financial hardships
related
to the disruption to businesses and industries and the cost to
municipal
budgets in a challenging economic environment is proving to be
overwhelming.
-- State resources have been, and will continue to be, committed to
assist
local governments in response to the devastation experienced by
individuals and the business and industrial communities. A major
disaster declaration would provide assistance to restore health and
safety, financial recovery, and normalcy to all residents and
municipalities of the impacted area.

-- Numerous municipal disaster declarations were made by elected
officials
as local Emergency Operations Centers were mobilized in the two county
areas. On June 16-17, Allegheny County had three times the normal
call
volume in the 9-1-1 center from individuals seeking assistance from
police, fire, and Emergency Medical Service units. On June 17 alone,
in
a six-hour period from 6:00 p.m. until midnight, there were 887 calls
for assistance due to flooding answered by 125 individual fire
departments.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan.

I certify that, for this major disaster, the state and local governments will
assume all applicable non-federal shares of costs required by the Stafford
Act. Total expenditures are expected to exceed $3,000,000.

I have designated Robert P. French, Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency, as the Commonwealth Coordinating Officer for this request.
He will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in damage
assessments and may provide further information or justification on my behalf.

Sincerely,
Edward G. Rendell
Governor

Enclosures

CONTACT: Maria A. Finn (PEMA)
717-651-2009
Michael Smith
717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

Maria A. Finn (PEMA), +1-717-651-2009 or Michael Smith of Pennsylvania Office
of the Governor, +1-717-783-1116