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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release January 25, 1999

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

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms, ice, and freezing rain on December 22-26, 1998.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected local governments in a 33 county area. The counties include Attala, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Kemper, Leake, Lee, Leflore, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tishomingo, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster, Winston, Yalobusha, and Yazoo.

Federal funding is available to eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or replacement of public facilities damaged by the severe winter storm, ice, and freezing rain. 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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