Harrisburg, PA – The Shapiro Administration continues to support communities across Pennsylvania after devastating flooding hit in eastern Pennsylvania on back-to-back weekends, working with local partners and first responders to keep people safe, provide resources, and help communities recover. Communities in Berks County were hard-hit on July 9 with more than five inches of rain, while flooding over the weekend in Bucks County claimed five lives as emergency personnel continue the search for two missing children.

“The physical damage that these storms left behind is overwhelming in these communities, but the emotional toll is harder to measure and will be felt in these communities for years to come,” said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield. “The Shapiro Administration will continue to work with state, federal, and local officials to help Pennsylvanians recover from these storms. We’ll be there to support them as long as it takes.”

In Berks County, the Shapiro Administration worked with county and local partners to open a Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) for flood survivors. Over the three days it was open, 235 people registered for services from state, county and volunteer agencies. The MARC helped to connect Pennsylvanians to state and local resources, including information about submitting insurance claims, the replacement of vital documents, well water testing kits, and access to crisis counseling services. Anyone who still needs services can email berksdes@countyofberks.com, and provide their name, phone number, email address and the nature of their need or call (610) 374-4800, ext. 0, and provide the same information. Due to the volume of calls, making contact via email is advised.

Additionally, the PA Department of Education (PDE) is providing ongoing technical support to Antietam School District, which had a middle school damaged by the flooding, to make sure they have the flexibility they need to help students be successful this year. 

Later this week, staff from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be in Berks County with PEMA and county personnel to conduct joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs.) PDAs are conducted to verify damages in order to determine eligibility for federal assistance. The results of the PDAs will determine if the commonwealth has meet federal thresholds and can request a federal disaster declaration to access federal funding through FEMA’s Public Assistance (to repair or replace public infrastructure) or Individual Assistance (aid to individuals and households) programs.  

Governor Shapiro, PEMA Director Randy Padfield, and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll visited Bucks County on Sunday to thank first responders and meet with Pennsylvanians impacted by the flooding. PennDOT is fully engaged in repairs to roadways impacted by flooding. Crews are removing trees and other debris from impacted roadways, performing bridge inspections, repairing and replacing pipe, paving, line-striping and more to ensure affected roadways are able to reopen quickly.

PEMA will continue to work with the counties to provide any additional resources they need. A Technical Information Specialist from PA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 has mobilized to Bucks County to provide GIS data collection and mapping support.

Motorists should be mindful of roadway closures and ongoing repairs on the following state roadways in the areas that were flooded:

• Route 32 (River Road) Woodside Road to Taylorsville Road in Upper Makefield and Lower Makefield townships (Bucks County);
• Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) between Dolington Road and Taylorsville Road in Upper Makefield Township (Bucks County); 
• Taylorsville Road between Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) and Woodside Road in Upper Makefield and Lower Makefield townships (Bucks County);
• Zucksville Road between Bushkill Drive and Maple Avenue in Forks Township, Northampton County;
• Riverside Drive between Jefferson Avenue and E Redington Road in Lower Saucon Township (Northampton County); and
• Main Street between Labar Road and Messinger Street in Washington Township and Bangor Borough (Northampton County).

Anyone planning to travel should closely monitor weather conditions along travel routes. Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.