Gov. Bob McDonnell has requested federal disaster assistance to reimburse state and local governments for costs associated with the severe winter storms that occurred February 5 and 6 and February 9 and 10.

McDonnell has requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse state agencies and 26 localities for damage to public infrastructure, debris removal, related emergency services and snow removal costs.

“These storms required extraordinary response and recovery efforts at the state and local levels,” says McDonnell. “Federal assistance will help local and state agencies recover.”

Localities in McDonnell’s request include the counties of Arlington, Augusta, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Highland, King George, Loudoun, Northumberland, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren, Westmoreland and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, Manassas Park, Waynesboro and Winchester.

McDonnell is also requesting that the Public Assistance program be made available to several localities for damage to critical infrastructure, debris removal and related emergency services, but not snow removal. Those localities include the counties of Albemarle, Appomattox, Buckingham, Caroline, Craig, Essex, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Nelson, Orange, Tazewell and the city of Fredericksburg.

He asked FEMA to consider the impact in another 43 localities that did not meet the snowfall threshold, but had significant snow removal costs.

In addition, McDonnell requested Hazard Mitigation Assistance for all Virginia localities. The Hazard Mitigation Assistance program helps local and state governments implement measures to reduce the impact of future disasters.

The February 5 and 6 snowstorm brought more than three feet of snow to some areas of northern and northwestern Virginia. Other parts of the Commonwealth experienced heavy snow and rain, high winds, and ice. At the height of the storm, more than 200,000 power outages were reported.

Days later, an additional five to 15 inches of snow fell in northern Virginia.

McDonnell declared a state of emergency February 3 to enable state agencies to quickly assist with local government response, and updated the declaration February 8.