POINT TOWNSHIP - In order to be eligible for disaster relief funds, the Northumberland County Director of Public Safety said it's important for township victims of the May 23 tornado to report the damage estimates of their property and homes.
"Homeowners still haven't received a complete estimate (from insurance companies). I was hoping to have that by the end of the week, but I don't have full details yet," said Steve Reiner Friday afternoon.
On a late Monday afternoon last month, an EF-1 tornado, with winds from 86 to 110 mph., touched down near the Susquehanna River in Winfield in Union County
and traveled east across the Susquehanna River into Northumberland County, where it terrorized a series of homes on Route 147. It ripped apart trees and several properties for a three-mile stretch before dissipating.
The estimates, explained Reiner, would be forwarded to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), which would determine if the damage warranted relief. Once PEMA has the necessary information, they can apply for federal funding.
"They (Northumberland County commissioners) can't declare a disaster until they have the estimates," he said.
The county, said Reiner, is responsible for any trees or damage occurring on the roadways, but homeowners were fully responsible for their own property.
There are several different levels and programs, depending on the estimates, that the county might eligible for, said Reiner.
According to reports in The Daily Item, the Union County commissioners approved a disaster declaration this week for the properties damaged as a result of the twister and estimated $100,000 worth of damage.