Scranton, PA – Today the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) traveled to Northeastern Pennsylvania to highlight the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to assisting individuals and families impacted by disasters and other emergencies with recovery needs through the Commonwealth Disaster Recovery Assistance Program (DRAP).
Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026-27 Budget Proposal pushes to keep the program going with another $5 million investment. The DRAP has been funded in the previous three years’ budgets, and unused funds rollover to provide a robust fund for future disaster needs.
Investing in disaster recovery is essential to successful long-term disaster recovery for disaster survivors, helping Pennsylvanians build resilience for the next disaster. The Disaster Recovery Assistance Program helps to fill gaps in recovery funding for impacted families that would otherwise have no access to recovery funding.
— Larry West, PEMA Deputy Director for Recovery
In September 2023, deadly and devastating flooding damaged homes and destroyed property in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Gov. Shapiro activated DRAP to provide over $42,000 in grants to seven eligible Lackawanna and Wyoming county households with nowhere else to turn to help them get back on their feet.
"The DRAP program was an important part of Scranton's overall flood recovery efforts after flash flooding destroyed parts of Keyser Valley and North Scranton in 2023," said Scranton Mayor Paige G. Cognetti. "After we extended resources to families using our American Rescue Plan Act funds, DRAP was there to help close the gap for homeowners with even more extensive damage. As funding from the federal government remains in constant fluctuation, we know our residents can rely on DRAP if disaster strikes again."
“We saw how quickly the 2023 flooding in Scranton disrupted entire neighborhoods, leaving families facing damage that went beyond what most were prepared to handle,” said Sen. Marty Flynn. “In many cases, the support available at the time wasn’t enough to fully cover those losses. DRAP played an important role in stepping in for households in Lackawanna County that still had real gaps to address. That kind of direct, dependable support matters, and maintaining it ensures communities like ours are better positioned to recover when the next disaster occurs.”
“After the devastating storms in 2023, too many families across Northeastern Pennsylvania were left picking up the pieces, and programs like DRAP have made a real difference in helping my constituents begin to rebuild," said state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski. "I’m grateful for Governor Shapiro’s continued leadership and commitment to investing in disaster recovery so our communities have the support they need when it matters most.”
"Programs like DRAP are a lifeline for families and communities trying to recover in the aftermath of devastating disasters," said state Rep. Kyle Donahue. "When homes are damaged and resources are limited, this funding helps ensure our neighbors aren't left behind. I'm proud to support continued investment in this program so Northeastern Pennsylvania communities have the tools they need to rebuild, recover, and come back stronger."
Under the leadership of Gov. Shapiro, DRAP was established in 2023 to assist Pennsylvanians recovering from disaster when no other aid was available. The program 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.
Since its inception, DRAP has provided more than $500,000 in assistance directly to Pennsylvanians after a variety of disasters like the Lackawanna and Wyoming county flooding, including flash flooding in Somerset County and apartment building fires in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Easton.
As the federal government is expected to reduce disaster funding to states, the Commonwealth stands ready to help eligible municipalities make needed repairs to damaged critical public infrastructure not paid for by federal assistance, insurance or other funding sources. Gov. Shapiro’s 2025-26 budget authorized PEMA to expand DRAP to include grants for disaster-related municipal public infrastructure projects in addition to directly supporting disaster survivors. This DRAP expansion will allow municipalities to apply for grants to help with disaster debris removal and emergency protective measures to reduce disaster impacts.
“As DRAP evolves for disaster survivors, the need to support our municipalities has grown too,” continued West. “We are thankful for the leadership of Governor Shapiro and the bi-partisan support of the legislature to expand this program to support disaster recovery for our municipalities in the aftermath of these high-impact, localized disasters where other funding sources may not be available.”
Learn more about the 2026-27 budget proposal and the Shapiro Administration's efforts to support working families, invest in education, and create more opportunities for Pennsyvanians.