MINOT, N.D. ? The Cabinet secretary responsible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency told residents in the flooded North Dakota city of Minot on Wednesday that the federal government is "here for the duration" and will do everything it can to help, but also cautioned that state residents should better prepare for future flooding.
The federal government "does not have deep pockets, nor is it a panacea," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said after a helicopter tour over the city where 4,100 homes have been damaged by Souris River floodwaters and more than 11,000 people have had to temporarily leave.
North Dakota also has seen record flooding along the Missouri River this summer, and eastern North Dakota went through its third consecutive battle against a flooding Red River last spring. Napolitano urged state residents in flood-prone areas to get flood insurance if they do not already have it to guard against future emergencies.
Only 375 homes in the flooded areas of Minot were insured against flooding, according to FEMA. The agency is making federal aid available to owners of private homes and businesses in the city and surrounding area. But Napolitano told residents that they should not expect the federal government to make them whole, because assistance is capped under federal law.
"We will provide what we can provide," she said. "Individuals may not be able to have what they had before."
Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, commander of the North Dakota National Guard, called Napolitano's visit "critical."
"Not just to hear about the costs but to also see the emotion and devastation," he said.
Sprynczynatyk said flood-related costs in North Dakota this year are expected to top $1 billion and that he thinks the state has met the threshold at which the federal government will cover 90 percent of the bill for public infrastructure repairs rather than the usual 75 percent. The percentage will be determined through a formula later.
The bulk of the damage is in Minot and surrounding Ward County, Sprynczynatyk said.
diane sawyer tcc uw ironclad curb your enthusiasm season 8 harper lee spread
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.