WASHINGTON – The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for Kansas and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes during the period of April 25 to May 16, 2009.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the president's action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and tornadoes in the counties of Anderson, Barber, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Cherokee, Coffey, Cowley, Crawford, Elk, Finney, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, Labette, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, Montgomery, Morris, Neosho, Reno, Rice, Sumner, Wabaunsee, and Wilson.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for all counties and tribes within the state.

Fugate named Michael L. Karl as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Karl said that additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.