For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 7, 2002
Statement by the Press Secretary
The President declared a major disaster
exists in the State of Kansas and
ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local
recovery efforts in the
area struck by a severe winter ice storm on January 29,
2002, and continuing.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected
individuals in a 35 county area. The counties include Allen,
Anderson, Barber, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Coffey,
Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Douglas, Elk, Franklin, Greenwood, Harper,
Jefferson, Johnson, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Leavenworth, Linn, Lyon,
Miami, Montgomery, Neosho, Osage, Pratt, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Sumner,
Wilson, Woodson, and Wyandotte Counties.
Assistance can include disaster
housing, grants, low-cost loans to cover
uninsured property losses, and other programs to
help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the
disaster.
Federal funding also is available to eligible local
governments in Johnson and
Wyandotte Counties on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or
replacement of public facilities
damaged by the severe winter ice storm.
Federal funding is also available on a cost share basis
for hazard mitigation measures.
Joe M. Allbaugh, Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency
(FEMA), named Carlos Mitchell as the Federal
Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected
area.
The Agency said that damage surveys
are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be added
after the assessments are completed.
The Agency said that residents and business owners who
sustained losses in
the designated counties can begin applying for
assistance tomorrow by
calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362), or 1-800-462-7585
(TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The
toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven
days a week until further notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.
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