"The dark cloud that dumped flukish heavy rains on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation back in June was no darker than the cloud of uncertainty hovering over the small northcentral Montana reservation in the two months since the deluge.

As the damage assessments mounted and the shape of federal disaster relief became clear, Chippewa Cree officials despaired over how they would raise the local quarter share of a $28 million damage estimate.

"We were trying to figure out how to come up with 25 percent because we didn't have it," said state Rep. Tony Belcourt, who lives on the reservation — where finances were something of an issue even before the flood disaster.

All of that changed last week when the tribe got word the federal government would waive the usual Federal Emergency Management Agency 25 percent requirement.

"The president has determined that the damage in the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy's Reservation ... is of sufficient severity and magnitude that special conditions are warranted," White House announced in a statement Friday."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Funding for Rocky Boy flood recovery welcome and right (The Great Falls Tribune 8/17)

Also Today:
Federal government will pay for entire Rocky Boy disaster (The Great Falls Tribune 8/14)

Related Stories:
FEMA opens office to support Chippewa Cree Tribe with recovery (7/21)
Obama signs a disaster declaration for Rocky Boy's Reservation (7/12)
Chippewa Cree Tribe frustrated by wait for disaster declaration (7/7)
Chippewa Cree Tribe waits on disaster declaration after floods (7/6)
FEMA finds at least $6M in damage on Rocky Boy's Reservation (6/29)
Chippewa Cree Tribe waits for FEMA flood damage assessment (6/25)
Chippewa Cree Tribe assesses damage after flooding disaster (6/24)
Chippewa Cree Tribe declares disaster due to major flooding (6/23)
Chippewa Cree Tribe evacuates homes over flood emergency (6/21)