News Releases for July 2005
July 22, 2005
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Hoeven Announces Presidential Disaster Declaration For 20 Counties, Two Reservations
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today received notification that President Bush has approved North Dakota's request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration, designating 20 North Dakota counties and two Indian reservations as meeting the requirements to obtain federal funds for recovery from public infrastructure damages incurred during severe storms and flooding that began on June 1 and continued through July 7. Other areas could be included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration pending additional preliminary damage assessments.
Counties and tribal lands included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration are: Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, Dickey, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, Nelson, Pierce, Ramsey, Richland, Sargent, Sioux, Stark, Steele, Traill, Walsh and Ward counties, along with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewas and Standing Rock Sioux tribal reservations.
"This declaration will help local and tribal communities repair damages to public infrastructure and help restore their economies," Hoeven said. "It will also incorporate mitigation steps to reduce or eliminate damages from future severe storms and flooding."
The disaster declaration will open access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs and will provide local governments federal grants to cover 75 percent of the eligible damages to roads, streets, bridges and other government-owned infrastructure. State and local governments must absorb the remaining 25 percent. The North Dakota Division of Homeland Security is prepared to provide state management of the Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs.
Although damages to homes and businesses did not meet federal eligibility criteria for the Individual Assistance Program, the Division of Homeland Security has been working with state agencies, such as the N.D. Department of Human Services and the N.D. Department of Commerce, as well as the N.D. Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), a group of volunteer, non-profit organizations, to identify sources of individual assistance.
"It is important for individuals with unmet needs to notify their local emergency manager of damages not covered by insurance that occurred to their homes or businesses," said Susan Reinertson, director of the N.D. Division of Homeland Security.
Counties and reservations included in the declaration sustained accumulative damages to public infrastructure from severe thunderstorms that produced abnormal amounts of rainfall, hail, and high winds throughout the state, and continued flooding in the Devils Lake Basin.
The Presidential Disaster Declaration is based on preliminary damage assessments (PDA) compiled by joint local, state, tribal and federal PDA teams, which showed losses of more than $13 million to public infrastructure.
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