USDA Provides As Much As $5.9 Million Disaster Aid to Kansas

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the availability of up to $5.9 million in aid to a Kansas town and surrounding counties leveled by a powerful tornado three months ago.

“These funds will help Greensburg area residents rebuild their homes and businesses and provide critical assistance for the area’s recovery,” Johanns said. “USDA’s financial support will help support the financing of loans and grants to construct more than 300 single-family homes and 200 rental units for Greensburg residents.”

More than 90 percent of the town was heavily damaged or destroyed when a powerful storm spawned deadly tornadoes that swept through Kansas on the evening of May 4.

As a result of a supplemental appropriation initiated by the Kansas congressional delegation, the first $1 million of the $5.9 million funding will assist the residents of Greensburg and surrounding counties for recovery planning. This funding is part of a recent supplemental appropriation for natural disasters and is in addition to USDA’s on-going program assistance for improving the economic opportunities and quality of life in rural America. Potential applicants are urged to consider all sources of funding that USDA as well as other Federal and State agencies can provide.

“We are pleased to work with Greensburg area residents to rebuild their community,” Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr said. “Our community, state and federal resources solidify a strong partnership for this rebuilding initiative.”

Approximately 90% of the town’s 1,500 residents have moved to other communities because of the near total destruction of housing in the Greensburg area. About 200 families are living in temporary housing. USDA Rural Development funds will also be used to repair some of the homes that were not completely destroyed during the storm.

USDA Rural Development’s mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents. Rural Development has invested more than $76.8 billion nationwide since 2001 for equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. More than 1.5 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA’s web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov