Bush urged to comply with disaster relief

WASHINGTON – Maine’s congressional delegation is urging President Bush to approve Gov. John Baldacci’s request for disaster relief funding for 11 Maine counties after a two-day blizzard dumped more than 2 feet of snow across much of Maine on Dec. 6 and 7.

Baldacci’s request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency covers Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Washington counties.

“We are writing to urge you to promptly review and approve the State of Maine’s request for an emergency disaster declaration for these 11 counties,” the congressional delegation wrote to the president. All four members signed the letter.

The two-day blizzard dumped as much as 41 inches of snow on the state and broke 48-hour storm records in 10 of the 11 counties included in the request. The storm nearly equaled the 48-hour record snowfall in Washington County.

“The storm caused widespread business closures, disrupted safety systems, grounded air traffic and stopped all road transportation,” the delegation noted in the letter.