Inspection Teams Head to Damaged Areas Today 

The inspection teams are making visits in several eastern Nebraska counties as part of a damage survey process needed to accompany requests for federal disaster assistance. President Clinton's major disaster declaration last week triggered the availability of federal funds to help the State, local governments and some non-profit organizations with certain costs incurred for debris removal and emergency protective measures resulting from the storm. Individuals are not eligible for any federal financial assistance under this declaration. 

The federal government reimburses eligible governmental entities 75 percent of approved damage costs. The remaining 25 percent comes from non-federal funds, usually a cost-share between the State and the local entity applying for assistance. 

The counties eligible for assistance are: Adams, Banner, Buffalo, Butler, Cass, Cheyenne, Clay, Custer, Dawson, Douglas, Fillmore, Franklin, Furnas, Frontier, Gosper, Hall, Hamilton, Hitchcock, Harlan, Hayes, Kearney, Kimball, Lancaster, Lincoln, Nuckolls, Otoe, Phelps, Polk, Red Willow, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Thayer, Washington, Webster and York. 

In other disaster news: 

• The last of five briefings designed to educate potential applicants about the process to apply for federal disaster assistance was held Friday morning in Kimball. The briefings, put on by the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, inform officials from local governments and certain non-profit organizations about the inspection process and about the type of documentation required for federal assistance. Other briefings, all this week, were held in Lincoln, Omaha and Hastings. 
• A federal/state Disaster Field Office opened Thursday in downtown Lincoln at the Robert V. Denney Federal Building. The administrative office was set up for federal and state workers managing the disaster assistance being provided to Nebraska because of President Clinton's recent major disaster declaration. The office will remain open as long as needed.