The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied an appeal Friday from Gov. Mark Dayton for aid for individuals and businesses affected by floods in northeastern Minnesota in June. Dayton said he was "disappointed" by FEMA's ruling and that he'll ask the state legislature for an estimated $7.4 million in assistance in an upcoming special session.

FEMA officials were on Minnesota's North Shore Wednesday to assess the damage caused by last week's Knife River flooding, which is estimated to be between $1 million to $2 million. FEMA is expected to tour flood damage Thursday in Duluth, as well as affected areas in greater St. Louis and Carlton Counties.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will continue assessing damage to private property stemming from the floods in northeast Minnesota last month, and will be here for as long needed. State and federal officials have been in Carlton, St. Louis, Aitkin and Pine counties, as well as on the Fond du Lac Reservation, looking at the damage.

Governor Dayton ordered state officials to begin preparing an appeal after learning that FEMA has denied federal aid to individual victims of last month's flooding. The agency is providing money for 13 counties to rebuild roads and make other repairs. But money for individual homeowners and businesses was denied.

While the state and federal bureaucracies slowly creep toward getting financial help to flood victims, a group of volunteers in the Duluth area is taking a do-it-yourself approach. Volunteers organizing a recovery fund for flood victims have raised $1 million. They say loan centers opening soon around the region will help residents who qualify get loans of up to $200,000.

Gov. Mark Dayton says he's heard that FEMA's regional office determined Minnesotans did qualify for individual flood aid, but was overruled by Washington, likely for budgetary reasons. Dayton says he wants to find out more. The state is appealing this week's decision denying assistance payments to individual homeowners and businesses hit by last month's floods.