Harrisburg, PA – Today, Governor Josh Shapiro signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency to make additional resources, including the PA National Guard (PANG), available to support response efforts after a significant weather system triggered several feet of lake-effect snow in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Our teams at PEMA, the Pennsylvania State Police, and PennDOT have been on the ground overnight to help their fellow Pennsylvanians as the impacts of heavy lake-effect snow hit Erie County. At the county’s request, I’ve called in the Pennsylvania National Guard – who are now on the ground – to help any stranded drivers and make sure emergency responders can get to folks who need them,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “As we continue working with local leaders in Erie County to get trucks and cars moved off roads, I’ve also signed a disaster declaration for Erie County to send all necessary resources to the area. Stay off the roads if you can, be safe, and follow instructions from PEMA and your local authorities.
The Governor's disaster declaration will allow the Commonwealth to quickly draw down funding and provide state agencies with the resources needed to assist counties and municipalities as they continue with ongoing response efforts.
“This storm doesn't limit its impact only to Pennsylvania and we're working with partners in New York to coordinate our response and our plans to reopen highways as soon as we can," said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Director Randy Padfield. “We have deployed personnel from PEMA and multiple Commonwealth agencies to work with Erie County Emergency Management to ensure that we have a thorough understanding of the situation and their needs during this storm."
More than a dozen PANG members have been placed on state active duty to assist with needs related to the snow. They are working directly with the Erie County Emergency Operations Center to deploy high clearance vehicles to assist with rescuing stranded motorists and moving vehicles.
The Pennsylvania State Police responded to nearly 200 incidents during the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. on Nov. 29 to 6 a.m. today.
After a break in the snow today, more lake-effect snow is expected Sunday into Monday night. Everyone who is able to stay off the roads should do so. With additional snowfall accumulation expected, motorists should expect to encounter difficult travel conditions and should prepare accordingly before heading out:
- Assume it will take longer to arrive at your destination and plan extra travel time;
- Have multiple ways to get weather alerts;
- Pay attention for rapidly changing conditions;
- Leave extra space between you and other vehicles; and
- Have food, water, warm clothing or blankets and any specialized items you may need such as medications or baby and pet supplies.
While PennDOT recommends not traveling during winter storms, motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.