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The White House
January 28, 2009
President Obama Speaks with Governors Beebe and Beshear; Signs Emergency Declarations for Arkansas and Kentucky
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2009
Earlier this evening President Obama made phone calls to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear about the severe winter storm in both states. The President asked the governors for updates on the situation in their states and for the status of emergency response efforts. He informed both governors that he would be signing their requests for federal aid and would declare federal emergencies in both Arkansas and Kentucky. The President signed the declarations shortly after the calls. A photo will be uploaded to obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Information specific to each state follows.
ARKANSAS
The President tonight declared an emergency exists in the State of Arkansas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 26, 2009, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named W. Michael Moore as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
KENTUCKY
The President tonight also declared an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal aid to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 27, 2009, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Clark, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Garrard, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Larue, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Shelby, Todd, Trigg, Union, Washington, Webster, Wolfe, and Woodford.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kim R. Kadesch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
January 28, 2009
Earlier this evening President Obama made phone calls to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear about the severe winter storm in both states. The President asked the governors for updates on the situation in their states and for the status of emergency response efforts. He informed both governors that he would be signing their requests for federal aid and would declare federal emergencies in both Arkansas and Kentucky. The President signed the declarations shortly after the calls. A photo will be uploaded to obamawhitehouse.archives.gov. Information specific to each state follows.
ARKANSAS
The President tonight declared an emergency exists in the State of Arkansas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 26, 2009, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named W. Michael Moore as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
KENTUCKY
The President tonight also declared an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal aid to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts in the area struck by a severe winter storm beginning on January 27, 2009, and continuing.
The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Allen, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boyd, Boyle, Breathitt, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Clark, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Garrard, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Harrison, Hart, Hickman, Hopkins, Jackson, Jessamine, Johnson, Larue, Lincoln, Logan, Lyon, Madison, Magoffin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McCracken, Meade, Mercer, Metcalfe, Morgan, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Nicholas, Ohio, Owsley, Perry, Powell, Shelby, Todd, Trigg, Union, Washington, Webster, Wolfe, and Woodford.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
Nancy Ward, Acting Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kim R. Kadesch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: FEMA (202) 646-4600.