News Releases for February 2004
February 25, 2004
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Hoeven Requests Federal Snow Emergency Declaration
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today requested a federal declaration for emergency and snow removal assistance for eleven counties and one Indian reservation in North Dakota. Heavy snowfall accumulations combined with extreme wind conditions, snowdrifts of up to 20 feet and continuous blockages and road closures have severely affected public health and safety, as well as economic and environmental interests in the impacted areas.
"Strict federal guidelines dictate snow removal assistance availability; therefore, the requested declaration limits assistance within counties that experienced record snowfall, as verified by the National Weather Service, during the period of January 23-26, 2004," Hoeven said. "If approved, it will provide federal funds to reimburse overtime snow removal costs incurred by counties and state agencies during a continuous 48 hour period."
Hoeven indicated that federal rules for providing snow removal assistance have changed drastically in recent years. With those changes, only short term specified record daily snowfalls are addressed.
"The process doesn't fully accommodate continuous wind conditions which tend to re-block routes that have been opened previously by snow removal crews such as we have experienced in many areas of North Dakota this winter," said Doug Friez, North Dakota Emergency Management Director. "However, if approved, it will provide some much needed assistance for strained snow removal budgets within the counties which have met the federal eligibility criteria."
The jurisdictions included in the emergency and snow removal declaration request include Dunn, McHenry, McLean, McKenzie, Mercer, Mountrail, Ward, Renville, Williams, Burke, and Divide counties, as well as the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
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