President Obama yesterday ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts for the severe storm, flooding ans landslides that occurred from September 15th to September 30th of this year. The President also declared that weather incident a major disaster.

That declaration makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and to certain private non-profit organizations on a co-sharing basis. That funding can be used for emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities that were damaged by the storm. The declaration covers the areas of the Alaska Gateway REAA, Chugach REAA, the Denali Borough, Kenai Peninsula Borough, and the Mat-Su Borough.

Federal funding is also available on a cost sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kenneth K. Suiso as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.