6 Minn. counties added to disaster declaration
by The Associated Press

ST. PAUL -- Six Minnesota counties have been added to the federal major disaster declaration following last month's tornadoes and storms.

The Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said Monday that Blue Earth, Brown, Houston, Kittson, Nicollet and Sibley counties have been added to the disaster declaration.

The division asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to add those counties last week after an additional $2 million in damage and costs were discovered.

Earlier, Gov. Tim Pawlenty secured a major disaster declaration for seven counties hit by spring storms in June: Faribault, Freeborn, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Polk, Steele and Wadena.