December 22, 2025 - Stoystown, PA
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) met with Somerset County emergency management and government leaders to underscore the Shapiro Administration's commitment to keeping Pennsylvania communities safe with critical investments in public safety in its recent budget. Among other important increases, the 2025-26 budget invests in two significant ways, by:- Doubling the amount of funding available from $20 million to $40 million to enable state agencies to respond to disasters in the Commonwealth; and,- Providing an additional $5 million in funding to the Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP) to directly support Pennsylvanians in recovery from disasters."Increasing the investment in disaster response and recovery is essential to protecting the safety and long-term resilience of communities across Pennsylvania," said PEMA Director Randy Padfield. "This funding ensures that PEMA and our state agency partners can respond quickly, coordinate resources efficiently, and support impacted families, communities and businesses throughout the response and recovery process."In the budget, $5 million is earmarked for the DRAP, which awards grants directly to eligible homeowners and renters who meet lower income thresholds, are uninsured or underinsured, or have not received other local, state, federal, non-governmental, or private aid. For those who qualify, DRAP grants can be used to repair housing, cover temporary housing and rental expenses, or replace essential personal property.DRAP provided $153,820 in grants to 27 eligible Somerset County households after devastating flooding damaged homes and destroyed property in May.Speaker List:Randy Padfield, Director, PEMAJoel Landis, Director, Somerset County Emergency ManagementBrian Fochtman, Chairman, Somerset County Commissioners
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