Tuesday, August 30, 2011

FEMA Approves Governor McDonnell’s Request to Add Additional Localities to Federal Emergency Declaration


The following is a release from the Governors office:

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Virginia’s request for 10 localities to be added to the pre-landfall emergency declaration that was issued Aug. 26, before the arrival of Hurricane Irene.
This federal emergency declaration does not provide disaster assistance to individuals. There is a separate process, which is under way, to request that assistance.
 “I asked the President to add these localities because of the severe impact Irene had across the eastern half of the Commonwealth,” said Governor McDonnell. “We want to do everything we can to assure a fully coordinated response to this disaster on the local, state and federal levels. These additions allow us the maximum ability to do so.  
These localities were added at the governor’s request: Essex, Gloucester, Henrico, King George, King and Queen, Louisa, Surry, Sussex and York, and the city of Richmond. These localities had to engage in extensive preparations to respond as the storm covered more of Virginia’s inland areas than predicted.     
The President’s pre-landfall emergency declaration originally included the counties of Accomack, Northampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland and New Kent, and the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg.
 A pre-landfall emergency declaration allows FEMA to provide supplies, equipment and other needed resources to state and local officials responding to the storm." 

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