THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
PRESIDENT CLINTON DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN HAWAII
President Clinton today declared an emergency exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding on November 5, 1996, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all emergency efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, and lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the designated areas. Specifically, FEMA is authorized to provide assistance for the alleviation of public health and safety concerns resulting from the existence of contaminated standing water, under emergency protective measures as authorized under subsection 502(a)(4). This assistance will be provided to the City of Honolulu and Honolulu County.
FEMA is continuing to conduct damage surveys, and additional counties may be added after the assessments are completed.
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