Southbridge And Sturbridge To Receive Tornado Aid
BOSTON (AP) -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has added Southbridge and Sturbridge to the list of communities that can receive assistance in repairing public facilities damaged in the June 1 tornadoes.
Residents of those towns had already been eligible for individual assistance under a June 15 federal disaster declaration for Hampden and Worcester Counties issued by President Barack Obama.
But only Hampden County had been made eligible for the public assistance under that earlier declaration.
Southbridge and Sturbridge were the only Worcester County towns to suffer extensive damage from the tornadoes, which killed three people in Massachusetts.
FEMA was expected to issue the amended disaster declaration on Thursday.
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, who pushed for the additional aid, said it would be a big help to those communities.
(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
