Nine more Wisconsin counties have been declared federal disaster zones as of Thursday, a week after severe flooding swept across southern parts of the state.
The additional counties are Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Iowa, Kenosha, Racine and Rock.
Federal Emergency Management Teams continue to assess areas throughout the state. Dane County alone is estimated to have over $5 million in damages.
We will continue to do everything possible to make sure the people and communities affected get the help they need to make a quick recovery,"" Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement.
The nine added counties join Crawford, La Crosse, Richland, Sauk and Vernon counties. Despite the additional areas, FEMA federal coordinating officer Michael Bolch said in a release that the inclusion of the new counties would be ""a smooth process"".
Local governments in the five original counties are currently eligible to apply for federal aid to pay 75 percent of the costs for debris removal and infrastructure rebuilding, according to a FEMA statement.
Individuals living in any of the nine new counties also now have greater access to federal grants and loans to help rebuild property damaged.
