TOPEKA, KS – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) announced today that, following severe flooding over the weekend, many southeast Kansas counties are now eligible for Public Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). The eligible counties in the Kansas Second Congressional District are Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, Coffey, Franklin, Linn, Miami, Neosho, Osage, Wilson, and Woodson. Other eligible Kansas counties are Butler, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, and Montgomery.

FEMA Public Assistance, which is intended for public entities, can fund the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replace¬ment of a public facility or infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed by a disaster. Eligible applicants include state and local governments and certain nonprofit organizations that provide essential services of a governmental nature.

"I spent much of today touring southeast Kansas with Governor Sebelius, Adjutant General Bunting, and the state's Congressional delegation," Boyda said. "We saw heartbreaking sights: homes covered in water, streets rendered inaccessible by floods, and the populations of whole towns camping in middle schools. But as devastating as the recent floods have been have been, they have brought out the very best in Kansans. With help from FEMA and the support of friends and neighbors, southeast Kansas will soon start down the long road to recovery."

The Kansas counties affected by flooding may be declared eligible for additional federal disaster aid, including Individual Assistance, at a later date after further evaluation.