President Backs Emergency Declaration for Ore., Wash.

Michael Brown, Department of Homeland Security’s principal federal official for Hurricane Katrina response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the states of Oregon and Washington to supplement their efforts to assist evacuees from areas struck by Hurricane Katrina.

Assistance is available in response to a declaration by President George W. Bush to state and eligible local governments for emergency protective measures that are undertaken to save lives and protect public health and safety. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent federal funding.

This action provides emergency assistance and funds to those areas beginning on Aug. 29, 2005, and continuing.

Brown indicated that this is the largest response to a national disaster ever in the U.S., impacting 90,000 square miles in the gulf coast region. A total of 18 states plus Washington, D.C. are now included in emergency declarations.