Seven Maine counties will share in a $250,000 federal grant to help businesses recover from severe storms and flooding that plagued the region in April and May of this year.

Gov. John Baldacci announced the grant Monday from the Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration. The state sought the funds specifically to aid businesses in Aroostook, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Somerset, Lincoln, Waldo and Knox counties.

"I'm pleased that the federal government is providing additional resources to help Maine businesses," Gov. Baldacci said in a prepared statement. "My administration has been working to build our capacity to help businesses and other employers in the state plan for and recover from disasters such as the flooding that impacted Aroostook County and others this spring. The U.S. Economic Development Administration grant will enable Maine's economy to better weather natural disasters and get back up and running as soon as possible."

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