Federal officials have approved assistance to seven more counties for the cost of repairing damage from storms on Feb. 29 and March 2, Gov. Steve Beshear announced Tuesday.

The counties are Ballard, Johnson, Kenton, LaRue, Pendleton, Trimble, and Wolfe.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved seven other counties for such public assistance last week. They were Grant, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee and Morgan counties.

Public assistance goes to local governments to help reimburse them for the cost of repairing damage to public infrastructure such as buildings, roads and utilities, and to help with the cost of removing debris. Public-assistance money can go to the state, local governments and to some private non-profit agencies.

More counties could qualify for public assistance as damage assessments continue, according to the news release from Beshear's office.

President Barack Obama also has authorized individual assistance to people in 21 counties. That assistance can include low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and grants for home repairs and temporary housing.