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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release June 8, 1999

                          PRESIDENT CLINTON 
                  DECLARES A MAJOR DISASTER EXISTS 
                    IN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of North Dakota and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, snow and ice, ground saturation, landslides, mudslides, and tornadoes beginning on March 1, 1999, and continuing.

The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals and local governments in a 34 county area. The counties include Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, and Wells, and the Indian reservations of the Devils Lake Sioux, Fort Berthold, and Turtle Mountain.

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 also is available to eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or replacement of public facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, snow and ice, ground saturation, landslides and mudslides. 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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