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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                          (Limerick, Ireland)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  September 4, 1998

                       PRESIDENT CLINTON DECLARES 
                    MAJOR DISASTER EXISTS IN VIRGINIA

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Bonnie on August 25, 1998, through September 1, 1998.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals for five independent cities. The independent cities include Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach.

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 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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