Bush pledges help, to tour flooded areas

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said Tuesday he will visit the flood-ravaged Midwest and his administration is working to answer pressing needs in the area.

Bush said he and other federal officials would travel to the area Thursday. He was briefed about the historic flooding by several members of his domestic team.

"First task at hand is to deal with the floodwaters, to anticipate where the flooding may next occur, and to work with the state and local authorities to deal with the response," Bush said after the briefing, whether it is providing safe drinking water or assisting in recovery.

He said federal officials were looking for a long-term solution for destroyed homes, most of which were not covered by flood insurance. Bush said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would establish a housing task force that would work with state and local authorities "to have an orderly strategy to help people get back in their homes."

"I fully understand people are upset when they lose their home," Bush said.

The Disaster Relief Fund has enough money to take care of the Midwest flooding, Bush said, but perhaps not disasters that could happen later this year. He said the administration would work with Congress to ensure the fund has "enough money to deal with a potential disaster, another disaster this year."