D.C. gets U.S. aid for pre-Christmas snowstorm

President Obama declared Wednesday that the District is eligible for federal aid to help pay for snow-removal efforts and other costs incurred during the snowstorm that struck the D.C. area before Christmas, the White House said in a statement.

The federal funds are expected to cover 75 percent of the amount spent by the District for eligible expenditures, said Jamilah Fraser, a spokewoman for FEMA.

The statement said the city and some nonprofit organizations can collect federal funds for tasks such as snow assistance and repair of facilities damaged during the Dec. 18-20 storm. The money can also be used to pay for “protective measures, including snow assistance” during a 48-hour period around the storm.

That storm dumped 16.4 inches of snow at Reagan National Airport, and as much as 23 inches fell in other parts of the region.

Local officials from the District, Maryland and Virginia also are asking the federal government to help them offset the costs of two massive snowstorms in February.

-- Clarence Williams