VENANGO COUNTY, Pa. (EYT) — The Venango County Commissioners and the Clarion County Commissioners have declared the existence of a disaster emergency in their respective counties following flooding and severe weather over the weekend.
(Photo of flooding aftermath on Deep Hollow Road by Austin Siar.)
Severe severe weather with flooding and other damage has caused or threatens to cause injury, damage and suffering to the persons and property of Venango County and the severe weather with flooding and other damage has endangered the health, safety, and welfare of a substantial number of persons residing in Venango County, according to the declaration.
The declaration goes on to state that this threatens to create problems greater in scope than Venango County may be able to resolve and emergency management measures are required to reduce the severity of this disaster and to
protect the health, safety and welfare of affected residents in Venango County.
In the declaration, the Commissioners “direct the Venango County Public Safety Director to coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster to aid in the restoration of essential public services, and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this emergency, all subject to the prior approval of the Board of Commissioners.”
It allows the County to “act as necessary with the approval of the Board of Commissioner to meet the current demand of this emergency “by entering into such contracts and agreements for the performance of public work as may be required to meet the emergency, all without regard to those time consuming procedure and formalities normally prescribed by law, mandatory constitutional requirements excepted.”
The declaration takes effect immediately and remains in effect for no more than seven days unless extended by further action of the Board of Commissioners.
Read the full declaration