President Receives Update on Casualties and Damage Caused by Severe Weather
Today President Obama spoke with Ohio Governor
John Kasich, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Maryland Governor Martin
O'Malley, and West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin to receive an update on
the severe storms that impacted a series of Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states
overnight, and to express his condolences for the loss of life and his concern
for individuals and first responders still confronting the destruction and loss
of power that is impacting communities as a result.
The President told the governors that he has
directed FEMA to ensure they continue to provide necessary support to state and
local officials in impacted areas as they respond to these events, especially
considering the power outages and the high temperatures many of the impacted areas
are currently experiencing.
The President also asked the governors to make
sure they continue to identify additional needs as state and local teams
respond to the storms.
President Obama also received an update from
FEMA Administrator Fugate on impacts and response activities in states,
including parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland,
Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia.
President Obama asked Administrator Fugate to
stay in close contact with our partners on the ground to make sure FEMA and
federal partners are providing all available support, and to keep him updated
as the response and recovery continues.
Earlier today, the President declared an
emergency exists in the State of West Virginia and ordered federal aid to
supplement state and local response efforts as the state continues to respond
to the storm.
FEMA has also deployed an Incident Management
Assistance Team to West Virginia to work side by side with the West Virginia
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management as it continues to
respond and identify potential needs from the storm outbreak, and at the
request of the State of Ohio, a FEMA liaison officer has been deployed to the
Ohio state emergency operations center to support state response efforts as
needed.
FEMA has activated its National Response and
Coordination Center (NRCC) at FEMA Headquarters in Washington DC, and Regional
Response Coordination Centers have been activated in its Region III
headquarters in Philadelphia, PA and Region V headquarters in Chicago, Il to
support local response efforts.
Additional support is being coordinated through
FEMA with other states as well.
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