U.S.
Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich today released the following statement
after the Obama Administration declared a disaster exists for the State of
Alaska for flooding that occurred in the Interior between May 8-13, 2011. Sen.
Begich and Sen. Murkowski sent a letter to the Administration on Monday asking
FEMA to support the disaster declaration as requested by the Governor on June
1.
“The
President’s declaration is a start but I continue to express concern that FEMA
will not make funds available to residents of Crooked Creek and Red Devil to
repair their homes and replace personal possessions lost in the flood,” Murkowski
said. “Our construction season in Alaska is short, and the delay of individual
assistance for the Crooked Creek and Red Devil disaster could put the
rebuilding effort of homes and restoring the lives of the community by winter
in jeopardy.”
“This
disaster declaration means the communities of Crooked Creek and Red Devil will
get some much-needed federal assistance to rebuild following this spring’s devastating
floods. I appreciate the Administration’s quick response to the requests from
both the State of Alaska and from the Alaska Senate offices,” Begich
said.
FEMA
said it is still reviewing whether Individual Assistance will be made available
to residents of Crooked Creek and Red Devil. Sens. Begich and Murkowski
requested both Individual Assistance and Public Assistance in their letter to
the Administration supporting the disaster declaration.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press
Secretary
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June
10, 2011
President Obama Signs Alaska Disaster Declaration
The President today declared a major disaster exists in
the State of Alaska and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local
recovery efforts in the area struck by an ice jam and flooding during the
period of May 8-13, 2011.
Federal
funding is 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 ice jam and flooding in
the Alaska Native Villages of Crooked Creek and Red Devil in the Kuspuk
Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA).
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis
for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Dolph A.
Diemont as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in
the affected area.
FEMA said additional designations may be made
at a later date if requested by the State and warranted by the results of
further damage assessments.
FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-3272.
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