TOPEKA (KSNT) - Governor Laura Kelly is asking for federal help after fires, severe thunderstorms and other violent weather events took place one month ago. Kelly sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on April 15 seeking a major presidential disaster declaration. This de claration is due to areas across Kansas that may have been damaged by fires, severe thunderstorms, straight-line winds, flooding and a winter storm during March 14-19, 2025. Multiple Kansas counties sustained damage to utility infrastructure, roads, bridges and some government-owned buildings during this period, according to a news release from the Adjutant General’s Department. Manhattan’s Spring Cleanup gets extended “Given the extent of the damage, it will be important to have federal support available to assist rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities rebuild their electric utility infrastructure, and local levels of government repair their buildings and roadways,” Kelly said. The request was made to try and get federal assistance through the Public Assistance Program that provides fund on a cost-share basis to repair damaged public infrastructure like roads and bridges. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. ...read more read less