Midwest Disaster Declared
President Bush declared a disaster in 33 northern Missouri counties and 35 counties in Kansas on Thursday to assist in cleanup from last week’s snow and ice storm.
The declaration means individuals in the counties will be eligible for government assistance. Federal assistance will also be available to state and local governments in some counties.
Bush issued a disaster declaration for 28 Oklahoma counties last week.
“This assistance will be a tremendous boost for local governments who have been burdened by the costs of restoring power and stability to the region,” Missouri Republican Sen. Christopher S. Bond said.
The storm was blamed for more than 25 deaths as it crashed through the southern Plains and stretched to New England.
As many as 412,000 Missouri customers were without electricity, 225,000 homes and businesses were blacked out in Oklahoma and about 435,000 Kansas residents had no power.
Missouri’s cleanup cost has been estimated at more than $22 million, and Kansas officials reported $17 million in damage in two counties alone.
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