PHILADELPHIA — More than 300 homes were affected — and four destroyed entirely — by Friday’s deadly plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia, officials said Monday as the extent of the disaster came into focus even as questions remained about what caused the crash and who will pay for recovery effort.

Walking amid the debris, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker toured the crash site together, received briefings from investigators, and held a news conference to reassure the neighborhood around Cottman Avenue and the Roosevelt Boulevard that help is on the way.

But it remained unclear what government resources will be available to homeowners and businesses affected by the crash, which killed seven people and injured 24. (Officials have cautioned that casualty numbers are still in flux as the investigation unfolds and people continue to report missing loved ones.)

Parker is requesting state and federal help with the recovery effort and said those conversations began “immediately” after the incident.

“While we’re dealing with the physical health and social and emotional impact, we really do have to quantify the economic impact,” Parker said at the news conference. “It will require that intergovernmental collaboration. No silos.”

Duffy, who was sworn in as a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet last week, said the federal government would assist the city, but offered no details. Officials have not mentioned the possibility of a presidential disaster declaration in the wake of the crash. Such a declaration, which could unlock federal funding to help people affected by the disaster as well as local government, would have to be requested by Shapiro and approved by Trump.

How the White House will respond to the crash is difficult to predict given the uncertain political landscape. On the one hand, Trump has designs on shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has criticized Democratic officials in California for their response to the Los Angeles wildfires. On the other, Parker and Duffy, a Trump appointee, on Monday appeared to go out of their way to praise each other and emphasize their plans to collaborate.

“I know that President Trump sends his condolences to the community and is offering resources and support as this recovery continues and investigation continues,” Duffy said.

Shapiro’s office did not respond to a question about whether he was considering requesting a presidential disaster declaration.

Parker said Sunday that the city will work to add up the cost of the crash’s damage — a standard step when local and state governments request for federal disaster aid — “to see if any additional resources are needed to help us.”

In addition to the four homes that were destroyed, six were severely damaged, and another 11 suffered notable but less serious damage, the city said. Officials have not yet detailed what happened to the more than 300 additional homes that they said were “impacted” by the crash.

City finance officials are “now working on trying to calculate the fiscal impact this has had to Philadelphia’s budget,” she said. “When those businesses aren’t doing business, taxes aren’t collected. So how is this going to impact the budget moving forward?”

Few details on investigation

The city’s tally of people injured in the crash increased from 22 to 24 on Monday after officials included a police officer who was treated for smoke inhalation and a firefighter who had a heart attack. Both were released from treatment and expected to recover, Parker spokesperson Joe Grace said.

Even as the contours of the crash’s impact became clearer Monday, the cause of the disaster remains unknown.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators had recovered the cockpit voice recorder, or “black box,” which could prove critical to an understanding of what happened. Duffy said they also recovered an enhanced ground proximity warning system that may help investigators.

Duffy said the black box on Monday was being transported to Washington, D.C., for examination. It had been buried by debris that pushed it about 8 feet underground, the NTSB said.

“If you look at the impact and how deep that crater is, it was a very steep angle at which that aircraft came down,” Duffy said.

Duffy said investigators from the NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration would examine numerous potential causes of the crash.

“They’re going to look at weather,” he said. ”Was there medical concerns? Was there technical or mechanical issues on the airplane? All factors that, even though this crash was so devastating, there are remains — whether it’s the engines, the wings — that they can look at and get answers to what took place.”

Conspicuous kumbaya

While they provided little in the way of new details regarding the crash or its cause, the trio of high-ranking officials heaped praise on one another, a notable display of unity between local Democrats and a recent appointee of Trump’s.

Duffy, a Wisconsin Republican and former U.S. representative, said the team Parker and Shapiro assembled to respond to the emergency was comprised of “great Americans.”

”If you want an example how to respond to crises, look to what happened here and to the team that you all have built because you all did it right, governor, mayor,” Duffy said. “Thank you for your example that you’ve shown the country and your community.”

Such praise stands in stark contrast to how Trump handled the fallout from the recent midair collision of a military helicopter and passenger jet in Washington, which he quickly blamed on diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, practices without evidence.

Parker, unlike her predecessor, frequent Trump antagonist Jim Kenney, has been reluctant to criticize the president’s actions since he won the November election. The mayor has said that she remains focused on her priorities for the city, many of which, she often notes, would benefit from help from the federal government.

Parker is likely hoping that Duffy’s conspicuous affirmation of the city’s response to the crash — and the potential for federal aid in the recovery — is a sign that her approach to the second Trump presidency is working.

“We can’t get through this moment without working with our federal partners in Washington, along with our state legislators and our governor here. We all have to do it together,” Parker said Monday. “We don’t let politics get in the middle of us getting our work done here. No emotions, no pride, no ego here. These were professionals.”

Pennsylvania was key to Trump’s victory in November, and his campaign had an office not far from the crash site in Northeast Philadelphia, traditionally the most conservative area of the city.

Insurance likely to help

The vast majority of insured homeowners, renters, and drivers are covered in the event that an airplane crash damages their house, apartment, or car, according to national insurance experts speaking broadly about hypothetical claims in light of Friday night’s crash.

Most homeowners’ policies cover damage caused by “falling objects,” which include everything from trees to satellite debris to planes, said Bob Passmore, department vice president of personal lines at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, a national trade association for insurers.

One possible exception would be for homeowners who have only “fire dwelling” insurance, a more basic coverage sometimes used for vacation homes or vacant properties, said Douglas Heller, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America.

As for drivers, any comprehensive insurance should cover damage from a plane crash, regardless of whether a person was driving at the time or whether the vehicle was parked, Passmore said.

If affected homeowners or drivers were uninsured or underinsured, they may still be able to file claims against the person or entity deemed responsible for the crash, the experts said.

And for those with insurance, the responsible party may still end up paying for the damage through a process called “subrogation,” in which the insurance company eventually gets reimbursed for claims paid, Heller said.

The city will hold a town-hall meeting to provide information and resources to neighbors affect by the crash at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Solis-Cohen Elementary School, Parker announced Monday.

Over the weekend, representatives from the city’s Department of Commerce were working in the neighborhoods around the crash site to conduct damage assessments and connect businesses to emergency relief programs, city officials said.

Salim Wilson, senior director of commercial corridor improvements in the Commerce Department, said many businesses in the immediate area of the crash scene remained closed Sunday as the investigation continued.

”As soon as they are permitted to reopen,” he said, “we will take a proactive, hands-on approach to ensure that every business affected receives the support that they need.”

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(Staff writer Anna Orso contributed to this article.)

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