06.29.11

Delegaion Welcomes IA Designation For Morton, Renville, McHenry Counties

FEMA Working Next To Evaluate Ramsey, Nelson, Benson Counties

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Kent Conrad and Congressman Rick Berg today welcomed notification by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that Morton, Renville and McHenry counties will now be eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance (IA) program. FEMA had earlier approved only Ward and Burleigh counties for IA. 

The delegation has been working to secure the designation for additional counties. Yesterday they again called on U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate to extend Individual Assistance (IA) program services to residents of North Dakota severely impacted by flooding this spring. 

Senators Hoeven and Conrad and Congressman Berg again spoke personally with Secretary Napolitano yesterday and asked for her assistance. She agreed to send FEMA’s Deputy Director Rich Serino to oversee additional public damage assessments of the Morton, Renville and McHenry counties. Residents there are incurring significant expenses while they are forced out of their homes by high water. Today’s announcement by FEMA follows those and other efforts to secure the designation. 

FEMA has also indicated it will now work to document damages in Ramsey, Benson and Nelson counties. 

“We made a strong case to both Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Fugate that additional counties warranted an IA designation, and we’re pleased to see that they’ve responded,” the delegation said. “There is more to do, but this is an important step in the right direction.”