Gov. John Hoeven has asked President Bush to issue a federal disaster declaration for 20 North Dakota counties and two Indian reservations that have been hit especially hard by high winds, torrential rains and flooding.

The declaration would make the reservations and local governments in the counties eligible for some types of federal aid to repair damage to public works. Hoeven said there is more than $13 million worth of damage that is eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency help.

"You're talking about roads, culverts, ditches, dikes, the telephone poles that have been knocked down by the high winds," the governor said. "Any kind of public sector costs and damages."

If the president declares the affected regions a federal disaster area, state and local agencies may only have to pay 25 percent of repair costs, with the federal government supplying the remainder of the money.

Not enough damage has been done to qualify individual residents of the counties and reservations for aid, but Hoeven said state and private agencies will be offering help.

Hoeven's request includes the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and Standing Rock Sioux reservations, along with Benson, Bottineau, Cavalier, Dickey, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, Nelson, Pierce, Ramsey, Richland, Sargent, Stark, Sioux, Steele, Traill, Walsh and Ward counties.