Members of Congress: “This damage exceeds the capacity of the impacted local governments’ recovery capabilities if federal assistance is not provided.”
On September 9, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties suffered serious damage from floods that claimed the lives of two residents and caused numerous injuries
In November, Senators Casey and Fetterman and Congressman Cartwright sent a letter urging the President to approve Governor Shapiro’s request for a major disaster declaration
In December, the Members sent a letter emphasizing the need for President Biden to help NEPA recover
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) sent a letter to President Joe Biden pushing him to grant Governor Josh Shapiro’s appeal of a December 2023 decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deny Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties a major disaster declaration following serious flooding on September 9, 2023. The Members of Congress emphasize the case for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s eligibility for a major disaster declaration in light of new damage assessment figures from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Administration (PEMA) not included in the data used by FEMA prior to its decision to deny the request for federal funding to aid recovery efforts.
“This damage exceeds the capacity of the impacted local governments’ recovery capabilities if federal assistance is not provided, especially when the high concentration of damages is considered. These new estimates demonstrate that it is critical for FEMA to reevaluate Governor Shapiro’s request for Public Assistance funding,” the Members wrote. “…we also recognize that a robust recovery will require funding from many sources. However, we would like to reiterate that those dollars should be a complement to rather than a replacement for the FEMA resources dedicated for recovery assistance.”
If granted, the declaration would authorize emergency grants to help communities in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties rebuild damaged or destroyed infrastructure.
The full text of the letter to President Biden is below and the signed PDF can be found HERE.
January 26, 2024
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:
We write today in support of Governor Shapiro’s appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding its December 2023 decision to deny Public Assistance to Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties following serious flooding in Northeastern Pennsylvania on September 9, 2023. Following the flooding, Governor Shapiro requested the major disaster declaration, specifically asking that Individual Assistance be authorized for Lackawanna County and that Public Assistance, which provides relief to public entities for certain emergency services and the repair or replacement of disaster damaged facilities, be authorized for Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming Counties. We want to reiterate that the damage to local infrastructure was severe and ask that you evaluate the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Administration’s (PEMA) more recent damage assessments, which clearly demonstrate the need for federal support in Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming.
It is our understanding that PEMA has identified greater costs from the storm that had not been accounted for in data used by FEMA to make its initial decision. While costs validated by FEMA at the close of the Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (JPDA) were $12,953,212, PEMA’s updated estimates found an additional $11,896,393.06 that had not been considered in the JPDA. This would put the PEMA validated total damages at $24,849,605.06, above the per capita threshold required to qualify for Public Assistance. This damage exceeds the capacity of the impacted local governments’ recovery capabilities if federal assistance is not provided, especially when the high concentration of damages is considered. These new estimates demonstrate that it is critical for FEMA to reevaluate Governor Shapiro’s request for Public Assistance funding.
As stated in our previous letter, we also recognize that a robust recovery will require funding from many sources. However, we would like to reiterate that those dollars should be a complement to rather than a replacement for the FEMA resources dedicated for recovery assistance.
The communities in Northeastern Pennsylvania continue to express their need for support and we need to respond with federal assistance. We urge you to reevaluate the request for Public Assistance and approve Governor Shapiro’s current major disaster declaration request. Thank you for your consideration.
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