Letter to Governor Mitt Romney - State of Emergency Declaration

Letter

The following letter was sent to Governor Mitt Romney today by the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation. Last week, lawmakers urged Governor Romney to declare a state of emergency in Massachusetts due to the massive flooding that has affected Western Massachusetts and the Merrimack Valley. Massachusetts lawmakers urged the governor to request a federal disaster declaration so that federal funds may become available to affected Massachusetts residents and communities.

The text of the letter is below.

Dear Governor Romney:

We are writing to respectfully urge you to make an expedient request for a federal disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act. It is urgent for Massachusetts to obtain this declaration as soon as possible, and we believe it is warranted because of the historic nature of this flooding.

A federal disaster declaration will provide critical support to those in need of individual assistance, such as temporary housing, home repair, unemployment assistance and crisis counseling. Because of the magnitude of these storms that resulted in flood alerts on all of the Commonwealth's rivers, many communities may be in need of federal public assistance, such as financing the renovation of flood-damaged schools, hospitals, municipal buildings, and roads. With a federal disaster declaration, these municipal costs can be reimbursed by the federal government.

This declaration will be particularly important to families and communities which may not have the resources to bear the expense of meeting the recovery needs of victims and providing essential repairs to public facilities. Springfield alone has estimated damages of $3 million, and cities across Massachusetts from Taunton to Worcester have incurred substantial expenses. An estimated 30 communities were forced to evacuate some residents as a result of the flooding.

You will have our full support in making the federal disaster declaration request to President Bush, and we look forward to working with you to help our communities recover from the storms and resulting flood damage.

Many thanks for your consideration of our request.

With respect and appreciation,

Sincerely,
Senator John F. Kerry
Senator Edward M. Kennedy
Representative Michael E. Capuano
Representative James P. McGovern
Representative Stephen F. Lynch
Representative Edward J. Markey
Representative Barney Frank
Representative John F. Tierney
Representative William Delahunt
Representative Richard E. Neal
Representative John W. Olver
Representative Martin T. Meehan