WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today announced that FEMA has granted new, significant federal aid for disaster areas in western Kansas following severe winter storms in late December.

"I must commend the people of Kansas for really leaning forward to help their neighbors," Senator Roberts said. "I especially want to thank the folks at the Region Seven FEMA office who have worked around the clock to make this new aid available to those still suffering. I also want to recognize the efforts of the State, especially the Kansas National Guard. Their work to help farmers and ranchers has been above and beyond their mission and shows real compassion for those they protect and defend."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is set to announce late this afternoon that all categories of public assistance have been approved. This new aid offers public assistance in all remaining aid categories beyond the initial two categories of debris removal and emergency protection, which were granted earlier this month. The state preliminarily has assessed damages of up to $360 million. At a maximum, FEMA will reimburse costs up to 75 percent.

"As we began to learn of the challenges the storm’s aftermath would present to our state and local governments," Roberts said, "it became apparent that these funds were desperately needed to reimburse local governments that could not have foreseen such a catastrophe and the toll it would take on their resources."

"This federal assistance is critical for folks in rural communities because without it," Roberts went on to say, "they would be saddled with higher energy bills and taxes to make up for the storm’s devastation."

Since the storm, Senator Roberts personally met with President Bush and spoke to (FEMA) Director David Paulison about the critical need for aid.

In a speech on the Senate floor on January 8, Senator Roberts talked about the storm’s effects on one Kansas community: "The 850 people that live in Sharon Springs, Kansas cannot afford to clear the mounds of snow that currently cover six blocks of Main Street. The city government could not have known to budget for the 600 truckloads of snow they estimate it will take to clear just that area. They need their federal government’s help."

Senator Roberts’ joined Senators from states affected by the storms and sponsored his first bill in the 110^th Congress to aid farmers and ranchers affected by the storms. Senator Roberts is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.