Cole Supports Immediate Assistance for Victims of Ice Storm

WASHINGTON - Today Congressman Tom Cole (OK-4) released the following statement after sending a letter to President Bush with other members of the Oklahoma delegation. The letter detailed the impact that the ice storm has had on the state and thanked the President for his swift action to approve federal assistance for victims of the storm.

"Officials in our state have accumulated a lot of experience working with the President on disaster declarations," Congressman Cole said. "President Bush, Lieutenant Governor Askins and other federal and state officials have worked quickly to see that the effects of this disaster are mitigated as much as possible. With these declarations and commitments for assistance in place, recovery teams will be able to go into affected areas and help citizens restore power and begin clean up as soon as possible."

"I want to thank the families and communities that have opened their doors to friends and neighbors who have been without power since the storm hit. It is times like these that I am reminded how fortunate I am to represent some of the most decent and generous people in America."

Severe storms began Saturday, December 8th and have been ongoing since that time. The 77 counties in Oklahoma have all been declared disaster areas. At this point, emergency assistance (Categories A and B), which includes limited direct federal assistance, has been approved by the President. This assistance will provide for the costs associated with removing tree limbs and other debris as well as sanding and salting expenses. For more information and the latest updates on the recovery effort, visit www.ok.gov/OEM.