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Bureau Of The Public Debt Aids Savings Bonds Owners Affected By Recent Severe Weather In South, Midwest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 27, 2008

The Bureau of the Public Debt will assist victims of the recent severe storms, tornadoes and floods in Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, and Missouri by expediting the replacement or payment of United States Savings Bonds for owners in the affected areas. The emergency procedures are effective immediately and will allow authorized agents to redeem Series EE and I Savings Bonds that are less than one year old which are presented for payment by their owners through the end of May 2008.

Public Debt's action waives the normal one-year holding period for Series EE and I Savings Bonds presented to authorized paying agents for redemption by residents of the affected areas. Most financial institutions serve as paying agents for savings bonds. The one-year holding period for electronic savings bonds held in TreasuryDirect accounts is also waived for owners in the affected areas.

Public Debt also will expedite the replacement of paper bonds lost or destroyed. Bond owners should complete form PD F-1048, available at most financial institutions, or by contacting our customer service department at (866) 388-1776. This form also can be downloaded from Public Debt's website, 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. A notary public or an officer of a financial institution must certify the completed form. Completed forms should be forwarded to Public Debt's Office of Investor Services, 200 Third Street, Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328. Bond owners should write the word "DISASTER" on the front of their envelopes to help expedite the processing of claims.

The following is a list of affected areas:

Arkansas Counties: Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Logan, Madison, Marion, Nevada, Newton, Pope, Randolph, Scott, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell

Georgia Counties: Bartow, Burke, DeKalb, Floyd, Fulton, Jefferson, and Polk

Illinois Counties: Iroquois and Livingston

Missouri Counties: Audrain, Barry, Barton, Boone, Bollinger, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Mississippi, Montgomery, Moniteau, Morgan, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Shannon, Scott, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster and Wright Counties, and the independent city of St. Louis

South Carolina Counties: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun and Orangeburg