Chesco establishes storm recovery resource center

The Chester County resource center is a “one-stop-shop” that provides assistance to all impacted residents.

WEST CHESTER >> Chester County officials and the Department of Emergency Services announced the operation of a Multi-Agency Resource Center for all individuals and families in Chester County affected by Hurricane Ida.

The Chester County resource center is a “one-stopshop” that provides assistance to all impacted residents by bringing together staff from many agencies who can help with the services needed to address the losses caused by Hurricane Ida.

The Multi-Agency Resource Center will operate on Wednesday, Sept. 8 and Thursday, Sept. 9, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. at the United Sports Training Center, 1426 Marshallton Thorndale Road, Downingtown.

At the resource center, residents will have access to representatives from nonprofit disaster relief organizations including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, as well as Legal Aid of Southeastern PA and local emergency management agencies. Staff from Chester County government emergency services, health, human services, housing, workforce, veterans’ affairs and water resources departments will also be available to provide assistance.

Specifically, help will be given with reporting property damage, and connections with local municipalities. “In the aftermath of Ida, we have seen family, friends and neighbors pulling together to help each other in so many ways,” said Mike Murphy, director of the Chester County Department of Emergency Services.

“While it is not a federally-operated disaster relief center, this MARC is a County-led operation to bring together local resources quickly that can help to support individuals and families impacted by Hurricane Ida, including the important first step of fully and accurately reporting property damage for future state and federal aid,” Murphy said.

Parking is available on site, and public transportation services from the Coatesville, Downingtown and Avon Grove areas of the county to the United Sports Training Center will be provided by Rover Community Transportation. Details of the public transportation schedule will be posted on Chester County’s Hurricane Ida webpage, www.chesco.org/ida.

Reporting property damage

Chester County residents and business owners who sustained property damage during Hurricane Ida are strongly encouraged to report it to the municipality where the home or business is located. A damage assessment form has been created to capture the critical information, making it easier to provide relevant damage information. As the cleanup process begins, it is important to document everything with photos of the damage and receipts for repairs and cleaning.

For Chester County business owners, in addition to reporting property damage to the municipality where the business is located, all of Chester County’s chambers of commerce are working to provide assistance for their business communities. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce for information and updates. And for additional support for businesses, the U.S Chamber of Commerce Foundation has a disaster support hotline — 1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP (888692-4943).

Housing assistance

If you, or anyone you know, is still in need of housing assistance, call 2-1-1 any time day or night, and select 2, 2, 1 on all of the prompts. Identify yourself as a flood victim and the referral assistance will be prioritized.

Flood recovery guide

For additional resources on cleaning up after the flood, refer to Chester County’s Flood Recovery Guide.

For all information and ongoing updates on Chester County’s support for Hurricane Ida, go to www.chesco.org/ida.