COLUMBUS, Kan. (AP) — A Cherokee County official says the owners of 27 flood-prone homes in the southeast part of the county may be eligible for a federal buyout estimated to cost about $1.1 million.

Jason Allison, the emergency management director for Cherokee County, said the county has contacted the Kansas Division of Emergency Management to see if Cherokee County residents are eligible for federal help.

The Joplin Globe reports that according to the National Weather Service, the Spring River crested at 31.8 feet in Baxter Springs early Dec. 29, 2015, beating the previous record by about 10 feet. The county says about 50 homes were affected and about half of those were destroyed or received substantial damage.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide 75 percent of the funds, but the buyout programs are administered by states and local communities.