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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 18, 1994

              PRESIDENT CLINTON DECLARES MAJOR DISASTER IN 
                              MISSISSIPPI

WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Clinton today declared a major disaster exists in Mississippi and ordered federal funds be released to help communities in that state recover from a winter storm which struck on February 9. The storm deposited six inches of ice over a wide area of northern Mississippi and led to power outages in the Delta and northern one-third of the state.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected local governments in a seven county area. The counties included are Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Washington and Yalobusha. Funds are available to local governments on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or replacement of public facilities damaged by the winter storm.

James L. Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, named J. Roland Sarabia of FEMA's regional office in Atlanta, Georgia to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected area. FEMA will continue to conduct damage surveys in other areas of the state, and additional counties may be approved for funds after the assessments are complete.

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