Federal Aid to NH After Tornado

President Bush has granted a request for federal assistance after a tornado ripped through 11 towns on the 24th of July. The assistance will be given to towns in Belknap, Carroll, and Rockingham counties. Merrimack and Strafford counties were not granted federal assistance even though Lynch included them in his request.

The federal funds will be used to help cover the costs that the tornado inferred on the towns. Emergency services as well as debris cleanup had placed strains on the budgets of the counties. Tornados are a rare occurance in the region.

While the funds will offer some relief to town deparments, Bush denied the request for individual assistance. Those funds would have helped families with the cost of temporary housing and repairs to their homes.

In a statement, Lynch said that he’d appeal the decision not to offer individual assistance. "I am disappointed the federal government will not be assisting the many New Hampshire families impacted by this severe weather, and we will be asking that the decision not to include individual assistance be reviewed," he said.

The tornado plowed a near 50-mile path through southern New Hampshire. Nearly 20 homes were destroyed and over 75 were damaged, according to the NH Department of Safety.