RENO - President Bush declared part of northern Nevada a national disaster area yesterday, making federal relief available to hundreds of people whose homes were swamped by a weekend levee rupture.
Bush signed the declaration as building inspectors went door to door in Fernley to assess the millions of dollars in damage caused by a break in a century-old irrigation canal early Saturday.
The declaration makes available federal assistance, including grants for temporary housing and home repairs, the White House said. It also can be used to make low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and entails other programs to help individuals and business owners recover.
