Tester and Schweitzer survey Montana flood damage

Senator, Governor observe situation, engage local officials in central and eastern Montana

(LEWISTOWN, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester and Governor Brian Schweitzer surveyed flood damage across Montana today.

Following the tour, Tester released this statement:

"The first goal is to ensure the safety of Montanans affected by these floods. My job is to work with state, local, tribal and federal partners to make sure Montana communities in need get the appropriate resources to clean up and rebuild. It was clear from meeting with emergency responders that a lot of hard work is going into keeping our communities, families, businesses, livestock and property safe. Montanans are once working together, neighbor to neighbor, community to community."

This morning Tester and Schweitzer flew over the Musselshell, Yellowstone, Boulder, Judith, Little Big Horn and Big Horn rivers. They surveyed flooding on the Crow Reservations and then received a briefing from Disaster and Emergency Services Administrator Ed Tinsley and Crow Tribal Chairman Cedric Black Eagle.

Later Tester and Schweitzer flew over the flooding around Roundup, Lewistown and the Spring Creek and received a briefing from Tinsley and Fergus County Commissioners.

Tester is Montana's only member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which oversees FEMA. Earlier this week, Tester wrote to FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to push the agency to prepare resources for the Montana communities affected by the widespread flooding. A copy of Tester's letter can be seen here.

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