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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release September 30, 1998

           PRESIDENT CLINTON DECLARES A MAJOR DISASTER EXISTS
                       IN THE STATE OF ALABAMA

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by Hurricane Georges on September 25, 1998, and continuing.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Mobile, Baldwin, Washington, Clarke, Monroe, Escambia, Covington, Crenshaw, Geneva, and Coffee.

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.

James L. Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), named Sharon Stoffel of FEMA's regional office in Atlanta, Georgia to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

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

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