Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on Disaster Relief for Areas Affected by the San Francisco Earthquake and Hurricane Hugo

At the direction of the President, the Office of Management and Budget is today distributing $184.6 million from the President's Unanticipated Needs for Natural Disasters Account. On October 26, 1989, the President signed the second continuing resolution for fiscal year 1990, which provided $2.85 billion in disaster relief funds for areas affected by the San Francisco earthquake and Hurricane Hugo. Of the $2.85 billion, $250 million was made available to the President to meet, at his discretion, unanticipated needs arising from both disasters.

The funds released today will be distributed primarily in California and South Carolina and be used for a variety of purposes, including school reconstruction; debris removal; transfer of patients to VA hospitals from damaged facilities; repair of damage to Federal parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and medical facilities; forest fire prevention; and stabilization of historic properties.

Agencies receiving funds today include the Departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Education, Interior, and Defense and the General Services Administration. The President has previously authorized distribution of $20 million from the account for earthquake preparedness planning and research activities at the Federal Emergency Management Administration, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

After distribution of the funds today, $45.4 million will remain in the President's Unanticipated Needs for Natural Disasters Account. This contingency reserve will enable the President to respond to unanticipated disaster relief needs which continue to be identified as recovery from the disasters proceeds.