President Barack Obama signed a federal disaster declaration July 20 ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas of Kansas affected by a series of storms between May 4 and June 21, 2015.
“These federal funds will go a long way toward helping these communities with their response and recovery efforts,” said Gov. Sam Brownback, who formally requested the assistance on July 1.
The federal assistance will help repair damage to public infrastructure and critical services from a series of storms which included tornadoes, straight-line winds, flooding and flash flooding.
Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments in the counties of Atchison, Barton, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Cowley, Doniphan, Edwards, Elk, Ellsworth, Franklin, Gray, Greenwood, Harper, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Neosho, Osage, Pottawatomie, Republic, Rice, Stevens, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Washington.
“Our staff in the Kansas Division of Emergency Management will be working closely with the counties named in the declaration,” said Maj. Gen. Lee Tafanelli, the adjutant general and director of the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
