September 2011 brought many things to Lancaster County Pa, among them up to 15 inches of rain in parts of the county from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee and numerous other storms. All of this rain, much of it needed after a dry summer, brought Central Pennsylvania some of the worst flooding we've seen since Hurricane Agnes blew through in 1972.
In an effort to help Lancaster County Residents recover from the devastating effects of the flooding, President Obama declared Lancaster County a Disaster Area. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has subsequently opened a Disaster Recovery Center at the Lancaster County office building located in East Hempfield at next to the Weichert office on Erin Court. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (until further notice) and all Lancaster County Residents affected by the flooding are encouraged to stop by and fill out applications for assistance.
Wondering if you qualify for assistance? FEMA offers a number of options. Already insured? Read this FEMA release. Are you a renter who suffered personal property losses? Try this FEMA release. The most important goal of the FEMA assistance to flood victims is to help replace essential losses and fortunately many local residents and organizations have stepped up and volunteered their time and resources as well.
If you would like to help, please consider making a donation or reaching out to the local non-proffit agencies involved in the clean up and recovery efforts to volunteer your time and resources. Please also spread the word about the location of the relief center and availability of flood assistance so your frends and neighbors affected by this disaster can receive the most assistance available to them. As the clean up progresses, we continue to see that unfortunate events like these floods bring out the best in Lancaster County and its caring cititzens!
