Resource center to open in Berks County to help those impacted by flooding after weekend storm

READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Residents of Berks County who were impacted by severe weather over the weekend will have a place to go for assistance.

The Berks County Department of Emergency Services, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and other state and county agencies and departments will open a Multi-Agency Resource Center on Thursday.

It will be located at the Exeter Township School District Lausch Administration Building at 200 Elm Street in Reading.

It will be open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Berks County officials provided the following list of agencies that will be present and the services they can provide:

*Berks Department of Emergency Services - referrals to proper resources for individuals who have not yet reported their damage to local government;

*Berks County Area Agency on Aging - assist older affected population;

*Office of the Attorney General - information on contractor fraud, scams, etc.;

*Department of Environmental Protection - safety advice and questions with respect to waterway management and private wells;

*Department of Human Services - document replacement assistance (i.e. birth/death certificates, etc.), disability assistance services, new benefit applicants, etc.;

*Berks County MH/DD office - crisis counseling services;

*Department of Insurance - address questions and information on conflict issues with insurance carriers;

*Department of Military and Veterans Affairs - assist with replacement of documents, info on veteran -specific programs available;

*PEMA - general MARC support, disaster recovery information, National Flood Insurance Program information;

*Penn DOT - info on their online driver services, driver's license replacement, etc.;

*Department of Health - safety information.

*Berks DES would like to remind all Berks County property owners, renters, and businesses who suffered property damage in relation to the rain and flooding in the past several days to report their damage to their local municipality as quickly as possible.

Your local municipality is the city, borough or township to which you pay your local taxes. Complete and accurate collection of this information could help Berks County residents and businesses qualify for additional disaster recovery programs.