President Declares Emergency For North Dakota 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced yesterday that federal disaster aid has been made available to North Dakota to supplement the state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by flooding beginning on April 5, 2011, 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 Barnes, Cass, Richland, and Traill Counties.

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. 

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Willie G. Nunn has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Nunn said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.