President Bush has approved Colorado’s request for federal disaster aid after tornadoes struck Weld and Larimer counties last week, Gov. Bill Ritter announced today.
The decision makes available to residents of the twister-ravaged area an array of federal programs including:
“I want to thank President Bush and the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their rapid response to our request for aid, especially over this holiday weekend,” Ritter said in a statement.
Post-storm assessments show more than 851 residences sustained some degree of damage, including 78 that were destroyed and 228 that suffered major damage, according to the statement.
FEMA Administrator David Paulison said the president’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Larimer and Weld counties.
Paulison named Kenneth Tingman the coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the area hit Thursday by the mile-wide tornado that killed one man near Windsor.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
