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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                         (New York, New York)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       June 8, 1998

The President Declares a Major Disaster Exists in Pennsylvania

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, tornados and flooding on May 31, through June 2, 1998.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in a four-county area. The counties include Allegheny, Berks,Somerset, and Wyoming.

Assistance can include disaster housing, grants, 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 is also available on a cost share basis for hazard mitigation measures.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that damage surveys are continuing in other areas, and additional counties may be added after the assessments are completed.

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