Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton last week formally appealed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s denial of individual assistance to residents in southern Minnesota seriously impacted by heavy rain and flooding in September.

Dayton said the original estimated amount of individual assistance needs were understated by at least a third.

“Due to time constraints and the non-availability of homeowners — many who were at work — a significant number of damaged structures were not inspected during the initial damage assessment,” he said.

Dayton said at the end of the second assessment, individual assistance needs rose from $10.5 million to $14.5 million, and included an additional 353 homes with uninsured damage, including two destroyed structures and 91 more with major damage. The damages were in seven counties: Blue Earth, Freeborn, Hennepin, Le Sueur, Rice, Steele and Waseca.

Waseca County alone accounted for an estimated $9.3 million in uninsured damage, he said.

“I cannot stress strongly enough the seriousness of the upcoming winter season,” Dayton said, noting that many of the damaged homes had floodwaters in the basement, which damaged or destroyed furnaces.

“Without assistance, many of the 1,501 homes with verified uninsured damaged will not be properly heated this winter and are, therefore, uninhabitable,” he added.

Some homeowners have switched on damaged furnaces or are turning to alternate heat sources.

Dayton originally requested the assistance for communities in southern Minnesota on Oct. 19. The governor’s letter followed damage assessments by FEMA, Homeland Security and Emergency Management and local governments.

President Barack Obama previously declared a major disaster in nine Minnesota counties, making them eligible for federal funds that will be used to help pay for the repair of public infrastructure.