Governor Josh Shapiro Declares State Of Emergency

January 25, 2026 8:05 am

Governor Josh Shapiro has declared a Disaster Emergency for Pennsylvania to make resources available to prepare for and support response efforts for Winter Storm Fern, which is impacting that state this weekend. “Our teams at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have been working to prepare to support Pennsylvanians as this winter storm impacts our Commonwealth,” said Governor Josh Shapiro.  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 with winter storm response efforts. The 2025-26 budget, signed into law by Governor Shapiro, doubled the amount of state funding available from $20 million to $40 million to enable state agencies to respond to disasters in the Commonwealth to keep visitors and residents safe.