Governor declares disaster emergency

Gov. Tom Wolf on Tuesday declared a disaster emergency in Pennsylvania, directing all statewide operations under the direction of the Emergency Management Agency to “use all available resources and personnel to cope with the magnitude and severity of this emergency event.”

Pike County was one of Pennsylvania’s most hard-hit areas of the Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Nor’easter. The National Weather Service reports snow accumulations of 32 to 34 inches in Milford and Dingman, with more in the center of the county, in Lords Valley and Hemlock Farms. Mount Pocono in Monroe County saw 37 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

“This emergency event has the potential to cause significant adverse impacts upon the population throughout the Commonwealth,” said Gov. Wolf in his declaration. He transferred $7 million in unused appropriated funds to the Emergency Management Agency for the purchase of supplies and services in response to the emergency.

He authorized the Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation to use all available equipment, resources, and personnel to clear federal and state highways of snow and debris and to immediately repair damage. He waived any laws or regulations that would hamper the use of the department’s equipment, resources, and personnel to assist local jurisdictions in the repairs and in clearing snow, debris, and other types of obstructions from non-state-owned highways.