Senators Craig Thomas, Mike Enzi and Representative Cubin wrote to the President today asking him to grant the governor’s request for disaster declaration.

August 18, 2005

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mr. President:

We are writing in support of a request submitted by Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal to declare the Town of Wright in Campbell County a major disaster area due to tornado damage.

As you are aware, on August 12, 2005, the town of Wright, Wyoming was ravaged by a category F-2 tornado which caused severe damage to residences and infrastructure. The Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) found damage to 192 homes, with 119 residences requiring some form of temporary housing. Unfortunately, the majority of families affected by this tornado are largely uninsured or under-insured, and there is little available temporary housing in a region that has been facing a housing shortage for the last several years.

While the damage was severe for Wright, had this occurred to a larger city, the damage total would increase exponentially. Wright residents witnessed the loss of one-third of their residences. A comparable disaster in Washington, D.C. would destroy 96,196 homes. Washington, DC would not function after such a disaster and neither can Wright, Wyoming. This is why we urge you to ensure that Rural America be treated fairly, and you declare the area a disaster to aid those affected by this tornado.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your timely review of this request.

Respectfully,

Craig Thomas
United States Senator

Michael B. Enzi
United States Senator

Barbara Cubin
Member of Congress

cc: The Vice President
Under Secretary Michael D. Brown
Governor Dave Freudenthal