UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- With more than two-thirds of Pennsylvania counties declared disaster areas due to severe flooding, Penn State Cooperative Extension is offering disaster-related recovery information for residents who may be affected by the deluge.

Whether you're concerned about food safety and preparation after a flood or power outage, restoring water supplies and septic systems, clean-up and repair of structures and household items, pest control, or storm-related insurance and tax issues, Penn State Extension can offer timely information that may make coping with natural disasters a little easier.

"Each county extension office has access to a variety of fact sheets and publications from Penn State and from many other land-grant universities around the country," says David Filson, statewide emergency response coordinator for Penn State Extension. "These resources can provide tips and advice covering a wide range of emergency situations for homeowners, businesses, agricultural producers and others.

"With offices in every county, established ties to county and state emergency-management agencies, and locally based extension educators ready to assist, we're well positioned to help residents get the information they need during and after a disaster," Filson says.

To receive disaster-related fact sheets and publications, residents can contact the Penn State Cooperative Extension office in their county (look under "County Government" in the phone book or visit the Web at http://www.extension.psu.edu/extmap.html for a list of county phone numbers and addresses).

Many resources also can be found on the Web at http://www.cas.psu.edu (click on "Flood Resources"). Information is available that draws upon the expertise of Penn State, as well as that of government agencies and other land-grant universities.

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EDITORS: David Filson can be reached at (814) 863-6424 or by e-mail at DFilson@psu.edu.

Chuck Gill office (814) 863-2713 home (814) 466-7671 e-mail cdg5@psu.edu