Colorado Governor Ritter Seeks Federal Disaster Aid

Tag: Agricultural Truck

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter tonight signed a request for federal disaster assistance for individuals, agricultural producers and businesses that sustained damage and suffered losses from Thursday's northern Colorado tornadoes.

The request was forwarded to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and will then be forwarded to President Bush.

"I have determined this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary," Gov. Ritter said. "Disaster programs won't make people whole for their underinsured or uninsured personal or business losses, but they are a safety net to help people begin the recovery process."

Federal state and local Damage Assessment Teams have spent the last two days assessing damage in Windsor and nearby areas in Weld and Larimer counties. Initial assessments show more than of 851 residences impacted, with 78 destroyed.

Gov. Ritter issued a verbal disaster declaration on Thursday and a formal written declaration on Friday, freeing state resources and funding to support initial response and recovery efforts. He also toured the devastated areas, seeing the destruction first hand, and met with local officials to discuss assistance needed.

If the request is granted, possible areas of assistance include grants and low-interest loans to individuals, agricultural producers and businesses affected by the tornadoes.

"We are exploring every possible avenue of assistance to help those impacted by the tornadoes," Gov. Ritter said. "We will continue to work diligently to bring aid to our neighbors as quickly as possible."