UPDATE 8/16/12 @ 8:15 p.m.
CHARLESTON, W.Va --- West Virginia local governments, state agencies and certain non-profit organizations will have an additional 30 days to apply for disaster assistance due to damage caused by the June-July windstorms.

West Virginia Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management along with FEMA announced the extension Thursday.

The deadline is now Sept. 21 to apply for federal aid to repair or replace public buildings and infrastructure damaged by the windstorm.

Officials said this is to insure that none of the potential applicants affected by the widespread storm fall through the cracks.

Under the public assistance program, FEMA pays 75 percent of the costs for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repairing or replacing disaster-damaged public facilities such as bridges, roads, buildings, schools, publicly owned utilities, recreational facilities and the like.

Since the disaster declaration on July 23, FEMA has received 336 requests for public assistance in the 45 eligible counties.

Tomblin's office said Tuesday he's specifically requesting public assistance in more than 40 counties. He's also asking that hazard mitigation funds to be available to all 55 counties.

If granted, the declaration would help provide infrastructure repair, in addition to the federal assistance the state is currently getting to address health and safety concerns.

Emergency officials are still doing preliminary damage assessments following the storms that, at the peak, left 680,000 customers in the state without power, many for more than a week.