Public Debt Aids Savings Bond Owners in Additional Disaster-Declared Counties in Eight States

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 25, 2011

The Bureau of the Public Debt, announced it would expedite replacement of lost or destroyed paper U.S. Savings Bonds, and waive the normal one-year minimum holding period for savings bonds to assist victims affected by severe weather in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee.

The action takes effect immediately and permits authorized paying agents to redeem Series EE and I savings bonds that are less than one-year old. Most financial institutions serve as paying agents for savings bonds. The one-year holding period for electronic savings bonds held in TreasuryDirect accounts also is waived for owners in the affected areas. Residents in the affected areas will be allowed to redeem these savings bonds through June 2011.

A TreasuryDirect account holder in one of the affected counties who needs a waiver of the one-year holding period in order to redeem electronic savings bonds can send an e-mail from within the account. The e-mail should briefly explain that the account holder is in an area affected by the disaster and needs a waiver of the holding period.

If paper bonds were lost or destroyed, bond owners can complete a downloadable form - FS Form 1048 - available on Fiscal Service's website, treasurydirect.gov. Forms also can be obtained by calling the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Customer Service Department at (844)-284-2676. Bond owners should include as much information as possible about the lost bonds on the form. Claim applications should be signed and signatures should be certified as indicated in the form's instructions. Completed forms can be mailed to the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt, P.O. Box 7012, Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012. To help expedite the processing of claims, write the word "DISASTER" on the front of the envelope.

Alabama

The counties affected in Alabama are Autauga County, Bibb County, Blount County, Calhoun County, Chambers County, Cherokee County, Chilton County, Choctaw County, Clarke County, Colbert County, Coosa County, Cullman County, DeKalb County, Elmore County, Escambia County, Etowah County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Greene County, Hale County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lamar County, Lauderdale County, Lawrence County, Limestone County, Madison County, Marengo County, Marion County, Marshall County, Monroe County, Morgan County, Perry County, Pickens County, Saint Clair County, Shelby County, Sumter County, Talladega County, Tallapoosa County, Tuscaloosa County, Walker County, Washington County, and Winston County.

Arkansas

The counties affected in Arkansas are Arkansas County, Benton County, Boone County, Clay County, Crittenden County, Cross County, Faulkner County, Garland County, Greene County, Independence County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lawrence County, Lee County, Lincoln County, Lonoke County, Madison County, Mississippi County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Phillips County, Poinsett County, Prairie County, Pulaski County, Randolph County, Saint Francis County, Saline County, Washington County, White County, and Woodruff County.

Georgia

The counties affected in Georgia are Bartow County, Catoosa County, Cherokee County, Coweta County, Dade County, Floyd County, Gordon County, Greene County, Habersham County, Harris County, Heard County, Lamar County, Lumpkin County, Meriwether County, Monroe County, Morgan County, Newton County, Pickens County, Polk County, Rabun County, Spalding County, Troup County, Upson County, and Walker County.

Kentucky

The counties affected in Kentucky are Ballard County, Boyd County, Crittenden County, Daviess County, Graves County, Hardin County, Henderson County, Hickman County, Jefferson County, Lawrence County, Livingston County, Marshall County, McCracken County, McLean County, Pike County,Union County, and Webster County.

Mississippi

The counties affected in Mississippi are Adams County, Alcorn County, Attala County, Bolivar County, Chickasaw County, Choctaw County, Claiborne County, Clarke County, Clay County, Coahoma County, DeSoto County, Greene County, Grenada County, Hinds County, Holmes County, Humphreys County, Issaquena County, Jasper County, Jefferson County, Kemper County, Lafayette County, Leflore County, Marshall County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Neshoba County, Newton County, Panola County, Quitman County, Sharkey County, Smith County, Sunflower County, Tishomingo County, Tunica County, Warren County, Washington County, Webster County, Wilkinson County, Winston County, and Yazoo County.

Missouri

The counties affected in Missouri are Bollinger County, Butler County, Cape Girardeau County, Dunklin County, Howell County, Jasper County, McDonald County, Mississippi County, New Madrid County, Newton County, Pemiscot County, Phelps County, Pulaski County, Reynolds County, Ripley County, Saint Francois County, Saint Louis County, Scott County, Stoddard County, Stone County, and Taney County.

North Carolina

The counties affected in North Carolina are Bertie County, Bladen County, Craven County, Cumberland County, Currituck County, Greene County, Halifax County, Harnett County, Hertford County, Hoke County, Johnston County, Lee County, Onslow County, Pitt County, Robeson County, Sampson County,Tyrrell County, Wake County, and Wilson County.

Tennessee

The counties affected in Tennessee are Bledsoe County, Bradley County, Carroll County, Cocke County, Crockett County, Dyer County, Gibson County, Greene County, Hamilton County, Hardin County, Henry County, Johnson County, Knox County, Lake County, Lauderdale County, Lincoln County, Madison County, McMinn County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Obion County, Rhea County, Shelby County, Stewart County, Tipton County, and Washington County.

For a list of the most recent counties affected, visit FEMA's website at www.fema.gov.