FEMA opens recovery center for those affected by Ida in Bucks County

A FEMA recovery center for those affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ida earlier this month opened Friday.

The center is located at the Warwick Square Shopping Mall, 2359 York Road, Jamison, in the former Giant food store. It's the same location where Bucks County has operated a COVID vaccine site.

The center is open from 1 to 7 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday.

Starting next week, the center will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. It will be closed Sundays.

The Disaster Recovery Center, or DRC, puts disaster survivors in contact with representatives from various agencies to help them through the recovery process.

The Bucks County Emergency Management Agency is assisting FEMA at the center.

A recovery center opened in Montgomery County last week.

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Residents can get help applying for federal assistance, learn about types of assistance and the appeals process, and can get updates on applications, according to a FEMA news release.

Representatives from the Small Business Administration also will be there to give information on its low-interest disaster loans program. 

More agencies and services are expected to be at the site next week, according to FEMA.

Those going to the locations are asked to wearing masks as a COVID-19 precaution.

The remnants of Ida caused widespread flooding and damage in both Bucks and Montgomery counties at the beginning of the month. Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed. Damages are estimated in the tens of millions in both counties, and about $120 million statewide. 

Ida spawned four tornadoes in Bucks and Montgomery counties, the strongest of which, an EF-2 with winds up to 130 mph, hitting Horsham and Upper Dublin, where one woman died when a tree fell on her home. 

The storm also dropped 4- to 8-inches of rain in Bucks and Montgomery counties, adding to already record rainfall for the summer and leading to significant flooding. Two people died in Montgomery County due to flooding, and a Montgomery County resident died in upper Bucks County when his vehicle was swept away in a flash flood.

President Joe Biden's administration approved a disaster declaration earlier this month, which makes funding available for those affected by the storm.

The major disaster declaration includes:

• Individual Assistance, including federal funding and services to eligible individuals and households  for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties;
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program match-sharing for all 67 counties in Pennsylvania

Who is eligible for FEMA relief?

The aid would be available for those affected by the tornadoes, heavy rain and flooding that swept through southeastern Pennsylvania from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5 in for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia, and York counties. FEMA assistance is for households that are uninsured or underinsured. 

Government entities and some nonprofits in those counties, plus Fulton County, are expected to receive funding to pay for infrastructure improvements and other needs. The collective damage estimate to public infrastructure to date is currently at $117 million, which far exceeds the commonwealth’s threshold of $19.7 million. 

Public assistance can be used for debris removal, emergency protective measures, roads and bridges, water control facilities, buildings and equipment, utilities and parks, recreational and other facilities, according to FEMA.

How can I get help now? 

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 TTY for the hearing and speech impaired. Operators can also answer questions about applications already submitted.