News from
The Adjutant General's Department

CONTACT:
Sharon Watson
Director, Public Affairs Office
Work: (785) 274-1192
Cell: (785) 806-4063
http://www.Kansas.gov/ksadjutantgeneral

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      June 20, 2008

No. 08-062

STATE SEEKING LOW-INTEREST LOANS FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY RECENT TORNADOES, STORMS

Mid-June tornado damage to homes and other privately-owned property was not large enough to qualify the state for federal Individual Assistance through FEMA. The Individual Assistance Program requires a larger number of uninsured properties to be affected than the June 11th storms impacted.

However, to help residents in the two counties hardest hit, Riley and Dickinson Counties, the state is working with the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide federal low-interest SBA loans to repair and replace homes, personal and business property.

“Although the state doesn’t qualify for individual assistance because of the large number of insured properties, we want to find a way to help those who didn’t have insurance or were underinsured,” said Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. “We’ll continue working with the SBA to ensure low-interest loans are an option.”

State Disaster Declaration Amended

Recent storms affected six more counties that were not in the State of Disaster Emergency declaration signed by Gov. Sebelius May 28. The declaration was amended this week to include the following counties: Brown, Cowley, Dickinson, Marion, Leavenworth and Riley.

The following counties were named in the original declaration dated May 22: Barber, Barton, Cheyenne, Clark, Cloud, Comanche, Decatur, Edwards, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jewell, Kearney, Kingman, Kiowa, Lane, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Meade, Mitchell, Morton, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Sedgwick, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace and Wichita.

Initial damage estimates for the above counties indicate the state will qualify for public assistance which involves reimbursement to government and non-profit entities. Once preliminary damage assessments are completed for the counties impacted, a federal declaration will be requested for public assistance.

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