
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 5, 1995                   TAG: 9507050073
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DISASTER STATUS AREA COULD BE EXPANDED

Virginia localities that have not yet been named federal disaster areas still could get the designation in the coming days, state and federal officials said.

President Clinton has declared 12 Virginia localities disaster areas, which makes them eligible for federal disaster assistance.

The federal government still is in the process of touring flooded-out areas and assessing damages, said Michael LaCivita, a spokesman for the state Department of Emergency Services.

``It's just a matter of waiting to hear back,'' he said. ``From all indications, it appears we might get some more'' designations.

At a meeting with state and federal officials Monday night, Warren County residents expressed concern that their county had not yet received the designation.

But John Sheehan, a representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told residents the county still may be added. He said it's more efficient to designate a few localities at a time than recognize all of them at once.

The localities included in the two federal disaster declarations are: the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Campbell, Culpeper, Giles, Greene, Madison and Rockbridge and the cities of Buena Vista, Lexington, Lynchburg and Staunton.

by CNB