FEMA Announces Emergency Disaster for Indiana

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for the state of Indiana . The assistance will supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by record snow and near record snow during the period of February 12-14, 2007.

FEMA Director David Paulison said federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures that were undertaken to save lives and protect public health, safety and property, including snow removal. The aid , authorized under an emergency disaster declaration issued for the state of Indiana by President Bush, supplements actions undertaken to alleviate the impacts of the emergency over a continuous 48-hour period during or proximate to the incident period in the counties of Benton, Blackford, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Delaware, Elkhart, Fountain, Fulton, Grant, Hamilton, Henry, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, Lake, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Montgomery, Newton, Noble, Parke, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Wabash, Warren, and White Counties.

Paulison named Richard J. Hinrichs as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighter and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003