The clock is ticking for victims of last week's flooding to get registered for federal disaster assistance.
Mike Skeels, public information officer with Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Thursday that there's generally a 60-day window of opportunity from the time a disaster is declared for victims to register.
"That's our time frame right now," Skeels said.
President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration Tuesday for 19 Pennsylvania counties, including Northumberland, Schuylkill, Columbia, Montour and Snyder.
Tropical Storm Lee passed through the area Sept. 7 and didn't let up until Saturday, causing waterways to overflow as well as flash flooding, damaging vehicles, roadways, buildings and more.
Members of FEMA community relations teams were canvassing the county Thursday for residential and commercial properties affected by flooding, and inspectors have already conducted on-site surveys of victims' properties, Skeels said.
Typically, Skeels said the turnaround from the time a survey is completed to when federal assistance is awarded is one to 10 days, assuming the information provided by homeowners is accurate.
Much of the assistance needed now, he said, is for temporary housing.
Individuals and business owners seeking federal disaster assistance must call FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) to file a claim. Claims may also be filed online at www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone or tablet at m.fema.gov.
"People need to register," Skeels said. "If they're in a affected county and had damages from flood and resulting storms, please call ... and get registered."
Once a victim is registered with FEMA, a survey will be scheduled.
Flood victims are also urged to visit any of four disaster relief centers set up throughout Northumberland County, or the local offices of their respective state legislators, to file loss claims bound for Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. These claims will go toward determining how much federal disaster-relief funding the state will be awarded to repair and replace damaged roadways and bridges, among other uses affecting the public.
FEMA's joint field office is set up in Harrisburg. The closest FEMA disaster recovery center to Shamokin is located at the Columbia County Ag Center, 702 Sawmill Road, Bloomsburg, which is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.
FEMA is currently canvassing locations to set up additional disaster recovery centers throughout the commonwealth.