HARRISBURG, PA — With federal funds now available for emergency work, repair and rebuilding in Monroe, Pike, Wyoming and other hard-hit counties, our local, county and state agencies will be reimbursed for the steep costs of preparing for and responding to Hurricane Sandy, state Senator Lisa Baker said.

“The long-awaited assurance of federal disaster aid is welcome news for the communities and families hard hit by Hurricane Sandy in late October,” said Baker, chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

“The concerted efforts of local officials and emergency responders to detail the devastation and document damages helped bring about this needed declaration,” Baker continued. “The extensive advocacy efforts by elected officials, community leaders, and citizens clearly made a difference.

“It takes a lot of resources to repair the damage and put in place protections against the next storm, and it is almost impossible for communities to do it on their own. Federal aid is indispensable in large-scale recovery efforts. While some parts of Pennsylvania escaped the devastation suffered by our neighbors in New Jersey and New York, many areas in northeastern Pennsylvania were still significantly impacted, suffering prolonged power outages, closed roads, downed trees, and damaged infrastructure,” said Baker, who sent a letter to President Barack Obama on October 31, 2012 urging the approval of federal funding for Sandy-related emergency protective measures and debris removal.