FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, March 4, 2007

President Declares Major Disaster for Georgia Following Severe Storms And Tornadoes
Senators Chambliss, Isakson applaud announcement that will trigger federal assistance

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today applauded President Bush's declaration Saturday evening of a major disaster for the State of Georgia, triggering the release of federal funds to help people recover from severe storms and tornadoes that occurred this week.  Both Chambliss and Isakson joined the President during his visit to Georgia Saturday.

Specifically, the designation includes assistance to individuals and households in Sumter County.  Additional designations may be made at a later date after further evaluation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) who have been conducting those assessments on the ground in South Georgia.

"This is welcome news for those who greatly need assistance in recovering from the events of this past week, and we are pleased the President was on the ground to see the damage firsthand.  There are certainly many areas that are going to need a helping hand so I hope additional designations will be forthcoming once the assessments are completed," said Chambliss, who also visited Baker County following the President's visit to Americus.

"I thank the President for coming to Georgia so he could witness our devastation firsthand, and I am glad he has declared Sumter County a disaster so the residents there can seek federal assistance in their recovery. I hope other Georgia counties will be added to this disaster declaration so that more victims of this tragic storm will be eligible for assistance," Isakson said.

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