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President Clinton Declares a Major Disaster Exists in the State of Arkansas

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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.

                                 30-30-30


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