|
Bush declares disaster area
03/03/2007 20:18 - (SA)
Enterprise - President George W Bush on Saturday declared a major disaster in an Alabama county hit by deadly tornadoes whipped up by a storm system which killed 22 people in the US and Canada.
Bush, who was castigated for his administration's slow response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, arrived to tour the devastated areas saying he had come to show his support.
"I come down with a heavy heart and I will try to the best of my ability to comfort those who lost lives and properties," Bush said as he arrived in Enterprise, Alabama, which bore the brunt of Thursday's storm.
"I hope it helps for the citizens here to hear that we declared your county a major disaster area, which will provide some relief."
Rescuers still searching
Eight teenagers sheltering in a high school in Enterprise were killed when one of the tornadoes struck. They were among the 10 people who died across the southern state.
Enterprise, a small town of about 21 000 people, sits in Coffee County which will now be eligible for federal grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property loss.
Bush was given an aerial tour of the devastation before landing in Enterprise, where he was then briefed by local officials.
"You can never heal a heart, but you can provide comfort knowing that the federal government will provide help for those whose houses were destroyed or automobiles were destroyed," the president said.
Bush also appealed to Americans to donate to a special fund set up for the people of Enterprise. Federal disaster aid has also been extended to Missouri, a Midwestern state, following the twisters.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley said Enterprise, where the high school was destroyed, had suffered "major and widespread damage." About 100 National Guard soldiers have been deployed to assist in recovery efforts.
Equipment and supplies such as food, water and ice had already been rushed to the area.
Emergency services spokesperson Yasamie Richardson said rescue workers were still searching for possible victims in Alabama.
"They are still going through the debris just in case they missed anything," she said. The state has opened shelters for the hundreds of people rendered homeless by the storm.
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, a tornado triggered by the same storm hit the Murray Sumter Regional Hospital in the town of Americus, Georgia, destroying the ambulance fleet and forcing 55 patients to evacuate.
Two people not linked to the hospital were killed there.
At least seven other people were killed across southern Georgia, and one died in Missouri after an apparent tornado destroyed a mobile home.
In Canada meanwhile, a severe winter storm was blamed for the deaths of two children in a traffic accident in Toronto.
There was mild flooding in parts of Toronto. About 80 000 homes remained without power in Ontario on Friday because heavy snow and ice downed power lines.
- AFP
|
News
