[Preservenw] President Declares Major Disaster For Alaska

[Gary Menges]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:04:16 -0500
From: "FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)"
     <fema at service.govdelivery.com>
To: menges at u.washington.edu
Subject: President Declares Major Disaster For Alaska


President Declares Major Disaster For AlaskaFri, 12 Jun 2009 07:56:05 -0500

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal
disaster aid has been made available for the State of Alaska and ordered
federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area
struck by flooding and ice jams beginning on April 28, 2009, and continuing.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the president's action makes federal 
funding available to affected individuals in the Alaska Gateway Regional 
Educational Attendance Area (REAA), the Kuspuk REAA, the Yukon Flats REAA, 
and the Yukon-Koyukuk REAA.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, 
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 also available to state and eligible local 
governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing 
basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities 
damaged by the flooding and ice jams in the Alaska Gateway Regional 
Educational Attendance Area (REAA), the Kuspuk REAA, the Lower Kuskokwin 
REAA, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Yukon Flats REAA, and the Yupiit 
REAA.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard 
mitigation measures statewide.

Fugate named Douglas G. Mayne as the Federal Coordinating Officer for 
federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Mayne said that 
additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the 
state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated 
counties can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online 
at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA(3362) or 
1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free 
telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven 
days a week until further notice.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive 
emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, 
recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and 
protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of 
terrorism, and other man-made disasters.

Last Modified: Friday, 12-Jun-2009 13:29:03