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Potter County Disaster Recovery Center Opens at Penn-York Retreat Center

The Potter County FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) is now open at the Penn-York Retreat Center, 266 Northern Potter Road, Ulysses, PA 16498.

Regular operating hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Potter County residents impacted by Tropical Storm Debby can visit the DRC to:

• Start an application for FEMA assistance.
• Get help understanding FEMA decision or request for information letters.
• Check the status of your FEMA application.
• Meet with Commonwealth of Pennsylvania agencies.
• Get referrals to nonprofits that offer additional help.
• Meet with a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) representative.

For more information and other ways to register for assistance, visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4815.

My office will continue to work closely with the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), Potter County Conservation District, Potter County Department of Emergency Services and local emergency responders to ensure that all state and federal resources are swiftly mobilized to support recovery efforts across Senate District 25 and surrounding areas.

Other Important FEMA Assistance Deadlines to Remember

Oct. 11 is the last day to apply for IMMEDIATE NEEDS assistance. This assistance covers money to help pay for essential items including water, food, first aid, prescription, infant formula, diapers, personal hygiene items, and fuel for transportation for eligible applicants.

FEMA may be able to provide funds or reimbursement for two weeks of lodging through Displacement Assistance or Lodging Expenses Reimbursement. This assistance can be used to stay in hotels, motels, short-term lodging, and sometimes with family and friends. Rental assistance helps eligible survivors who need a temporary place to stay while their home is being repaired or until they secure permanent housing.

Renters who experienced losses may also be eligible for Disaster Recovery Assistance. FEMA can also help with disaster-related expenses such as renting a new place to live when a renter’s previous home was lost due to disaster, disaster-related medical and dental expenses, replacement or repair of personal property and vehicles, and disaster-related funeral and burial expenses.

Nov. 12 is the deadline for Individual Assistance covering:

• Home Repairs

Financial assistance for eligible homeowners to rebuild or make repairs so that their homes are safe, sanitary and functional. Note that Home Repair Assistance is only available for primary residences. 

If you already repaired your home or replaced damaged items, keep your receipts and submit them to FEMA for possible reimbursement. In addition to structural damages to roofs or floors, you may be eligible for FEMA assistance to repair or replace a furnace, septic system, private road and/or bridge, or private well.

• Accessibility Improvements

Funding may be available to make accessibility improvements and repairs to your home if you have a disability. Accessibility improvements, such as an exterior ramp or grab bars, may be funded even if they were not present before the disaster.

• Personal Property Assistance

FEMA assistance is limited to basic needs. Insurance coverage is the best means to recover after a natural disaster. However, FEMA assistance for personal property may be available for homeowners and renters if they are uninsured or underinsured.

Assistance may be available to help cover the cost of appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines, essential clothing, basic home furnishings, tools required for work and school, and assistance for accessibility items required for eligible applicants with disabilities.

You may also be able to receive money to repair or replace a personal or family computer as well as additional computers required for work, school, or access and functional needs. If you are self-employed, FEMA may offer money to repair or replace disaster-damaged tools and equipment you need to do your job.

FEMA grants are not loans and do not have to be repaid. They are not taxable income and will not affect eligibility for Social Security, Medicaid, welfare assistance, SNAP benefits and other programs.

You can apply for FEMA Assistance and a Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan at the same time.

Insurance does not cover everything. Even if you received an insurance payout for damage to your home or property, you may still be eligible for FEMA Assistance.

Temporary Disaster Unemployment Assistance Now Available

Pennsylvanians living or working in Potter, Tioga, Lycoming and Union counties who were directly impacted by Tropical Storm Debby may now apply for temporary Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

Before an individual can be deemed eligible for DUA, the PA Department of Labor and Industry must first establish that the individual is not eligible for regular Unemployment Compensation (UC) benefits under any state or federal law.

More specifically, individuals eligible for DUA benefits are those who work or live in one of the federally declared counties and lost their jobs directly due to the disaster. Those potentially eligible for DUA may also include:

• Individuals unable to reach their job because they must travel through the affected area and are unable to do so because of the disaster.
• Individuals who were to begin employment but were prevented doing so by the disaster.
• Individuals who became the major support for a household because of the death of the head of the household as a result of the disaster.
• Individuals who cannot work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.

Residents whose employment is impacted for the reasons listed above under “DUA Eligibility” should file a claim online at www.uc.pa.gov. All claims will be verified with the affected employer.

The deadline to apply for these temporary DUA benefits is Nov. 12, 2024. More information is available here.

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