June 12, 2006

ROMNEY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL FLOOD ASSISTANCE

Local Communities, State Agencies and Private Non-Profits to Receive Flood Aid

The Romney Administration today announced that President Bush has declared a Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance for Essex and Middlesex Counties. This Public Assistance Program will provide aid for damages related to the flooding on May 12 -23, 2006.

Under this expanded assistance program, affected local governments, state agencies and many private non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for federal funds to be reimbursed for 75% of the approved cost of debris removal, emergency services related to the disaster, and repairing, replacing or restoring damaged public facilities, such as roads, buildings and utilities. Procedures for requesting the assistance will be explained at a series of applicant briefings for local officials at various locations to be announced by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

This declaration is in addition to the earlier Major Disaster Declaration for Massachusetts which provided for Individual Assistance (aid to individuals, households, and businesses) for those in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties, as well as a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (assistance to state and local governments and certain private non-profit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards) which is available for the entire Commonwealth.

Individuals in Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk Counties who suffered damage are continued to be encouraged to register for assistance online at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) orTTY: 1-800-462-7585 for the speech or hearing impaired. The IA Programs are for individuals who have suffered damage to their homes or businesses. Assistance, coordinated by MEMA and FEMA, can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; or, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Hurricane Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema.

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