Minnesotans in 19 counties hit hard by summer flooding can now apply for federal aid.

The federal government has approved individual assistance for residents in counties affected by June flooding in northeast and across southern Minnesota, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith said in a statement Tuesday.

"This is a big deal," Klobuchar said in an interview, noting the aid will help Minnesotans whose homes were damaged by the flood like the ones she saw in Cook and Le Sueur counties.

"Many of them are living in these flood zones, they don't have all the extra thousands of dollars for a new water heater or a new basement," she said. "This is going to make a lot of difference for them."

The affected counties are Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan counties. Additional counties may be added as damage assessments come in.

Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.

"That's really good news!" said Paul Zoch, a Jackson resident who has been helping his brothers-in-law after their home flooded in June. The impact of the flood continues weeks afterward, with his relatives, who don't have flood insurance, needing to replace their furnace, water heater and water softener.

"They're certainty grateful that the government is helping out," Zoch said. "I think it's going to help them sleep a little better at night."

Emergency management directors in Blue Earth and Cottonwood counties said they're still waiting for more details on what comes next.

Many Minnesotans affected by flooding this year did not have insurance that could cover damage, with some hoping for FEMA aid to offset losses. County and state officials have said that residents should keep photographs and other documentation to submit for aid applications.

The approval of individual assistance adds to a major disaster declaration by President Joe Biden on June 28 that opened up federal funding for hazard mitigation measures across the state.

Residents can apply online for individual assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov or can call 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585), a state fact sheet released Monday said.