Disaster aid for area is certain, feds tell officials

The Federal Emergency Management Agency representative in Havre today said, after hearing initial estimates on flood damage in the county, that Hill County definitely would qualify for federal aid if a presidential disaster is declared.

"No doubt," Loran Gardner of FEMA said in an interview after the meeting.

Gardner said FEMA officials have been around the state for the last week, doing predisaster damage estimates to use in advising President Barack Obama whether to declare a disaster in the state.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer last week requested a disaster declaration for the flooding around the s...