More than 100 New Hampshire homes are uninhabitable after suffering damage in last week's tornado, Gov. John Lynch said yesterday in a request to President Bush to issue a disaster declaration for the state. Nineteen homes were destroyed in the storm, and 76 others were damaged, emergency officials said.

A disaster declaration is a key step toward getting federal funds for disaster cleanup and repair. "We need to do everything possible to help our families get back on their feet and back into their homes," Lynch said in a statement. He requested the declaration for five counties: Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Belknap and Carroll.

Lynch spent yesterday morning with federal, state and local officials to assess the response to the tornado, which tore through 11 communities Thursday and killed a woman in Deerfield. He said the state is focused on coordinating efforts by various state agencies and volunteer organizations to ensure that victims find shelter, food and clothing.

The total cost of the damage is not yet known, Lynch said. Officials in affected towns said the damage, which is mostly to private property, is expected to cost millions of dollars.

The tornado, with winds ranging from 86 to 135 miles per hour, "devastated a 40 mile swath of the state ranging in width between one quarter and one half mile wide as the tornado advanced," Lynch wrote.

After a disaster declaration, FEMA typically pays 75 percent of the costs of aid to individuals. The state has paid the other 25 percent, said Katja Fox, a spokeswoman for the governor. For repairs to public infrastructure, federal authorities have paid 75 percent, with the state and the local governments in the past splitting the tab for the rest, paying 12.5 percent apiece.

The town of Epsom, which officials count as hardest-hit in the storm, is used to the process of disaster relief after years of floods. "We've been through three floods in this town," said selectwoman Joanne Randall. "And we've dealt with FEMA year after year."

The state's Department of Transportation is coordinating state efforts to clear debris from the 8,400 acres hit by the tornado. While the work isn't strictly related to roads and transportation, spokesman Bill Boynton said the agency is well-equipped to deal with debris-clearing work.

"We have heavy equipment and we have ability to coordinate with contractors," he said. State officials are working on finding a way to turn upended trees and broken branches into something useful, potentially wood chips or firewood, he said.

It's unclear for now how the bill will be paid, Boynton said. "Funding is an issue, but we're also trying to respond to the immediate need," he said.

As the cleanup continues, officials cautioned homeowners and others to be careful given that thunderstorms over the last few days have kept conditions dangerous. Chris Pope, the state emergency management director, urged people using chainsaws and other power equipment not to keep working when they get too tired.

For more information about disaster relief, visit nh.gov. If you have questions, requests or want to report damage, you can call the public inquiry hotline at 1-888-330-6764 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For questions about insurance, the state's Department of Insurance has a toll-free number, 1-800-852-3416.

The state's Department of Environmental Services has posted guidelines on waste and debris removal on its website, des.nh.gov. To report hazardous materials or petroleum spills, contact DES at 271-3899.