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Relief aid ongoing in response to Uniontown area tornado

By Mike Tony mtony@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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Relief efforts continue in response to the tornado that swept through the Uniontown area last month, with Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday announcing he requested U.S. Small Business Administration declare disasters in Fayette County and Uniontown.

“Severe weather such as that sustained in Fayette County in February can quickly wreak havoc on rivers, streams, and landscapes, causing damage that is beyond that covered by insurance,” Wolf said. “The availability of low-interest loans will make it possible for residents and businesses to get back to normal more quickly, and we are hopeful that the SBA will make this assistance available.”

Based on the results of a Commonwealth Damage Survey, the damage in the county meets the SBA criteria of at least 25 homes or businesses with uninsured losses of 40 percent or more of their estimated fair market value.

Damage assessments show more than 38 homes and businesses fall into that category, Wolf said in a release.

“Based on the damage assessment results, I requested that Fayette County be declared a disaster area by the SBA, so that low interest loans may be made available to the affected property owners,” Wolf said.

“I want to thank Gov. Wolf for this action and cordially and personally invite him to Uniontown to have a look at the damage this tornado wreaked upon the community,” state Rep. Matt Dowling, R-Uniontown, said. “He is taking the next step to aid those who have been affected by this storm.”

As property and business owners wait to see what will happen, others are continuing recovery efforts closer to home.

The Uniontown and Old Trails Lions Clubs along with volunteers from Bethel Baptist Church in North Union Township boxed and delivered supplies to impacted residents Thursday and will do so today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday starting at 9 a.m. as well.

Robert Rafail of the Uniontown Lions Club said that the club received a $10,000 grant from Lions Clubs International Foundation five days after the tornado for relief assistance, including $7,000 to give back directly in impacted communities.

So, Lions Club and other volunteers are going door-to-door donating food and cleaning supplies to affected residents in the North Gallatin Avenue, Millview Street and Connellsville Street areas of Uniontown and North Union Township in addition to Laurel Estates near Laurel Highlands High School. Rafail noted that 126 residents signed up for assistance at a two-day multi-agency resource center at Fayette County Community Action Agency last month.

Eric Dolfi of the Uniontown Lions Club said that volunteers from Donora and Monongahela were helping out Thursday.

“The community is really coming together,” Dolfi said.

Rafail said that those in interested in volunteering could go to Bethel Baptist Church at 998 N. Gallatin Ave. Ext. to connect with other volunteers and help out Friday and Saturday.

“We serve,” Rafail said, citing the Lions International mission statement.

Diocese of Greensburg Bishop Edward C. Malesic called Thursday for a collection to be taken in all 78 of the diocese’s parishes in Fayette, Westmoreland, Armstrong and Indiana counties the weekend of Mar. 17-18 to help aid Uniontown area tornado recovery.

Proceeds from the collection will first go to Catholic Charities’ local tornado relief efforts, and any remaining funds will be placed in a diocesan disaster fund for future needs.

Catholic Charities is the social service arm of the Diocese of Greensburg and has been aiding impacted residents locally since the Feb. 15 EF1 tornado by connecting them with utility assistance, home repair and other services, Diocese of Greensburg spokesperson Jerry Zufelt said.

“Catholic Charities will be there as long as they’re needed,” Zufelt said.

Malesic noted in a press release that the diocese provided more than $185,000 of assistance to people who suffered serious losses from the major flooding in the Connellsville area in 2016.

Fayette County Community Action Agency is continuing to accept financial donations, having agreed on Feb. 20 to be the county’s Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) fiduciary, accepting financial donations on behalf of the VOAD with a committee to be set up to disperse those donations. Community Action Director of Customer Service Rita Masi said that the agency had received $23,577 in financial donations for disaster relief as of Wednesday.

Most of that $23,577 has come from individual donors giving between $20 and $100, Masi said. Community Action also had more than $15,000 in building supplies donated from Lowe’s and 84 Lumber, Masi added.

Those who wish to donate to local tornado relief efforts may also send a check made out to Fayette County Community Action Agency, indicating “disaster relief” in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to the agency, attention disaster relief, at 108 Beeson Blvd., Uniontown PA 15401.

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