Georgia is getting more federal help in the cleanup and rebuilding to those affected areas following last week's deadly storms that hit the middle and southwest portions of the state. President Bush has expanded a 'federal disaster declaration' to include all nine counties affected by tornadoes. Sumter County had originally been named by the President--now he has added Baker, Clay, Crawford, McDuffie, Mitchell, Muscogee, Stewart, and Taylor counties to that list. People eligible can get assistance and grants to help pay for repairs and other expenses. However, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, people in three of the counties are only eligible for public assistance. That means help from local government entities. Those counties are Clay, Stewart, and Muscogee.
The storms could end-up as the costliest insurance disaster in state history. The tally right now is 135-million dollars in 'insured losses'. That includes damage to homes, autos, and commercial buildings. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says the lion's share of that damage is in the Sumter County-Americus area. Columbus and Muscogee County saw the second largest amount of damage. When the final count is in, Oxendine says it could be a new record for Georgia disasters, possibly passing 150-million dollars. That is the amount from damage in the north-Atlanta area, when tornadoes hit there in 1998.
