Bureau Of The Public Debt Aids Savings Bonds Owners Ravaged By Severe Weather in North Carolina and Virginia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 22, 2003

The Bureau of Public Debt took action to assist victims of severe weather in North Carolina and Virginia by expediting the replacement or payment of United States Savings Bonds for owners in those areas. The emergency procedures are effective immediately for paying agents and owners in North Carolina and Virginia affected by the storms. These procedures will remain in effect through the end of October 2003.

Public Debt's action waives the normal minimum holding period for Series EE and Series I savings bonds presented to authorized paying agents for redemption by residents of the affected area. Most financial institutions serve as paying agents for savings bonds.

The counties in North Carolina are: Beaufort, Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Edgecombe, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Martin, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrell and Washington. In Virginia, for independent cities of: Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Franklin, Hampton, Poquoson, Newport News, Alexandria, Williamsburg, Hopewell, and Emporia and the counties of: Greensville, Southampton, Northhampton, Accomack, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Surry, Prince George, Charles City, James City, York, Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, Lancaster, Northumberland, Westmoreland and Richmond. Should additional counties be declared disaster areas the emergency procedures for savings bonds owners will also go into effect.

The replacement of bonds lost or destroyed will also be expedited by Public Debt. Bond owners should complete form PDF-1048, available at most financial institutions or by writing the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank's Savings Bond Customer Service Department, 701 East Byrd Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219; phone (804) 697-8000. This form can also be downloaded from Public Debt's website at: www.treasurydirect.gov. Bond owners should include as much information as possible about the lost bonds on the form. This information should include how the bonds were inscribed, social security number, approximate dates of issue, bond denominations and serial numbers if available. The completed form must be certified by a notary public or an officer of a financial institution. Completed forms should be forwarded to Public Debt's Office of Investor Services, 200 Third St., Parkersburg, West Virginia 26106-1328. Bond owners should write the word "DISASTER" on the front of their envelopes, to help expedite the processing of claims.