For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 14, 2003
Statement by the Press Secretary
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the
Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal aid to supplement
Commonwealth and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe
winter ice and snow storms, heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes, and mud
and rock slides on February 15-26, 2003.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to
affected individuals in a 15 county area. The counties include
Breathitt, Carter, Clarke, Fayette, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Knott,
Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Martin, Owsley, Perry, and Pike.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home
repairs, 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 the commonwealth and
eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or
replacement of public facilities damaged by the severe winter ice
and snow storms, heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes, and mud and rock
slides in the counties of Anderson, Bath, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken,
Breathitt, Breckenridge, Carter, Clark, Clay, Elliott, Estill,
Fayette, Fleming, Floyd, Grant, Grayson, Green, Greenup, Harrison,
Jessamine, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher,
Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Morgan,
Nicholas, Owsley, Pendleton, Perry, Pike, Powell, Robertson, Rowan,
Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Washington, Whitley, Wolfe, and Woodford.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-share basis
for hazard mitigation measures.
Representing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),
Michael D. Brown, Acting Under Secretary for Emergency
Preparedness and Response, Department of Homeland Security, named
Gracia Szczech 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 for assistance 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.
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