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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                          (Chicago, Illinois)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                 September 25, 1998

            PRESIDENT CLINTON DECLARES AN EMERGENCY EXISTS
                        IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Florida and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Georges on September 22, 1998, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes FEMA to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the disaster 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, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Dade, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the disaster. Direct Federal assistance and emergency protective measures will be provided for the first 72 hours at 100 percent Federal funding and debris removal at 75 percent Federal funding.

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