Venango County issues statement on available aid for flood victims

Venango County officials are working to compile a listing of flood-related damages resulting from the heavy rains last Friday and Saturday.

Tim Dunkle, director of the county’s Department of Public Safety, and the county commissioners issued the following statement Friday relating to damage assessment and available resources:

“We are at this time working with local municipalities and their designated emergency coordinators to collect damage assessments from the severe weather event that came through Venango County on the evening of (Friday) July 19, 2019. These coordinators are working to complete preliminary damage assessments to both public and private property.

We are urging county residents that may have been affected by this storm to contact Venango County’s 211 hotline. Information will be gathered and with your permission sent to the local municipal coordinators. Once contacted, the local coordinator should be doing an initial assessment to any property damage reported.

We also urge residents to contact their insurance companies, as well as, keep track of any work they are having done.

Once we receive the assessments from the local coordinators, we will submit the assessments to PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) for review.

In the meantime, if you are unable to contact your local coordinator we ask that you contact our office directly at 814-677-0325. We will attempt to answer any questions you may have regarding this process.

Also, you can call Venango County 211 for any assistance you may need. Residents may call 211, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or you can text your zip code to 898-211 and a live local resource specialist will assist you.

Please understand this process takes time to complete and that everyone involved is working hard to make sure the assessments are done accurately.