Armstrong County commissioners issued a declaration of disaster emergency Friday, May 2, as a result of damage from April 29 storms.

The declaration enables the county to bypass normal procedures and immediately deploy all available resources for emergency response and recovery. The storm caused wide spread power outages across the county leaving 11,711 residents still without power as of Friday. First Energy has told the county that crews are working around the clock to restore power.

The commissioners are working closely with the public safety department to make sure information and resources are provided to first responders and the public.