Governor John Hoeven says the cost of temporary levees, debris removal and other repairs from last spring's storms and flooding in North Dakota has topped $78 million and he's asked the White House to reimburse 90 percent of the costs. Hoeven says the state still is tallying the costs of the flooding and blizzards but the total is now officially over the threshold for more federal funding.
The governor's request would increase the federal share of public infrastructure repair costs from 75 percent to 90 percent. He says that if the request is approved by President Barack Obama, the state will pay 7 percent of disaster expenses and local governments will pay 3 percent.
Officials say the 90 percent reimbursement rate can be requested when federal funding for specific presidential disaster aid programs reaches $122 per capita, based on 2000 census figures. For North Dakota, the threshold was $78.3 million. Hoeven says that was surpassed this week.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
