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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release December 29, 2000

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

     President Clinton today declared a major disaster exists in the

State of Arkansas and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a severe winter ice storm beginning on December 12, 2000, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to individuals and local governments in a 22 county area. The counties include Arkansas, Bradley, Calhoun, Cleveland, Columbia, Crittenden, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Grant, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Lonoke, Monroe, Nevada, Ouachita, Polk, Prairie, Pulaski, St. Francis, and Union.

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.

Assistance is also available for debris removal (Category A) and emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, at 75 percent Federal funding.

James L. Witt, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), named Joe Bray as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

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

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