CONCORD - Gov. John Lynch announced today the Federal Emergency Management Agency has made Coos County communities and individuals in Belknap County eligible for federal assistance to repair damage caused by the April Nor'easter.

On April 27, President Bush granted Gov. Lynch's request to make New Hampshire communities and families eligible for federal disaster assistance to recover from the recent floods. The Governor had requested the president declare a disaster in all 10 counties, however the declaration excluded Coos County, making public assistance available for Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford and Sullivan counties. FEMA today amended the declaration making public assistance available to communities in Coos County.

"Last month's storm caused severe damage to local infrastructure in parts of Coos County and damaged homes and businesses in Belknap County. I am pleased assistance has been made available so these communities can rebuild their roads and bridges, and families can begin repairing damage to their homes," Gov. Lynch said.

The president's original declaration made individual assistance and Small Business Administration assistance available for five counties - Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford counties. Today's announcement means individuals in Belknap County can now apply for federal assistance through FEMA by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. Those with speech and hearing impairments may call TTY 1-800-462-7585. Registration is also available online at www.fema.gov. Businesses affected by the Nor'easter can call the Business Resource Center at the Department of Resources and Development at 1-800-417-4110.

FEMA offers two primary types of assistance, public assistance - which helps the state and communities cover emergency operations, debris removal and repair costs; and individual assistance - which provides some emergency assistance to individuals, such as for temporary housing, and will cover some - but not usually all - costs of the damage.

According to the state Office of Emergency Management, flooding caused by April Nor'easter affected over 1,000 homes, of which 51 homes were left uninhabitable and 200 suffered major damage. In many cases, the owners of these affected homes were just completing repairs from the flooding that occurred in last year's Mother's Day floods. FEMA has processed more than 1,000 applications and approved over $1 million in assistance.

Because FEMA assistance will not cover the cost of all the damage incurred by the flooding, Gov. Lynch is encouraging people to donate to the New Hampshire Disaster Relief Fund.

Donations can also be made to the relief fund online at www.nh.gov, or by sending a check to:

State of New Hampshire, Disaster Relief
25 Capitol Street, Room 121
Concord, NH 03301

People with flood-related questions or concerns can call the state's flood relief hotline during regular business hours at 1-800-458-2407. The hotline cannot take applications for assistance.