Governor Hassan Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for January Blizzard in Southeastern New Hampshire

Press Release

To help support Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties in their snow removal and winter storm response efforts this winter, Governor Maggie Hassan today requested that President Barack Obama issue a major disaster declaration and provide federal emergency assistance for the blizzard and severe winter storm that occurred between January 26 and January 28, 2015.

In advance of the storm, Governor Hassan declared a State of Emergency on January 26 and closed state government on Tuesday, January 27, for personnel not essential to public safety, public health or the storm response. The State Emergency Operations Center was activated from January 26 through January 28, 2015. Snowfall accumulation totaled anywhere from two to almost three feet in southern and southeastern parts of the state, and winds exceeded 50 miles per hour during the storm.

"In addition to the three storm-devastated counties that met the snowfall totals, the storm affected the entire State of New Hampshire," Governor Hassan wrote. "Not only has this storm significantly impacted the State and local snow removal budgets, but the frigid temperatures and continuous snowfall have burdened our municipal budgets, school districts and local businesses."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, working with state and local emergency management officials, recently completed a Preliminary Damage Assessment, finding that the statewide costs for this event's response efforts exceeded $3,293,000.00, including $1,554,335.40 in Hillsborough County, $1,226,158.15 in Rockingham County, and $512,565.13 in Strafford County. There were also more than 18 roof collapses statewide that required an emergency services response, including eight in Hillsborough County, three in Rockingham County, and three in Strafford County.

"In summary, as demonstrated in the attached data, New Hampshire experienced a blizzard and severe winter storm with record snowfall levels recorded and per capita benchmarks met for the state and three counties," Governor Hassan wrote. "I have determined, pursuant to 44 CFR § 206.36, that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of New Hampshire and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety."

Following the late January storm, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation tracked an additional 12 storms, six of which were considered "higher severity," indicating that storm-related activities consumed unusually high amounts of materials and labor for snow removal. As a result, Governor Hassan requested that the timeframe for the declaration be extended to include an end date of February 22, 2015.

"Although I understand including the other three storms associated with this devastating weather pattern is unusual, the continuous snowfall that occurred from this storm pattern created a further hardship on State and local resources," Governor Hassan wrote.

Source