Flood disaster assistance available for individuals in northeastern counties

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced Tuesday, July 30, that Minnesotans in 19 counties, including those in Cook, Lake, and St. Louis Counties, can now request individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help recover from losses experienced from the June flooding.

The federal disaster declaration will provide resources to reimburse individuals and communities for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repairing and replacing damaged infrastructure. While individual assistance cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster, the Tuesday press release stated it is a significant step in helping people meet their basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.

In late June, Cook County Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport estimated the cost of damage to county culverts, washed-out roads, and labor for county employees to clear fallen trees at over $200,000. The estimate does not include Cook County residents impacted by the June flooding. Many homeowners and business owners experienced flooded basements and washed out driveways, particularly on the west end of the county.

In the coming days, FEMA, in partnership with Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), will establish disaster recovery centers to assist people in navigating the process and house state agency representatives to ensure individuals and businesses understand all the available programs. More information on how to access these centers will be forthcoming from FEMA.

The following counties are currently part of the declaration: Blue Earth, Cook, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Itasca, Jackson, Lake, Le Sueur, Mower, Nicollet, Nobles, Rice, Rock, St. Louis, Steele, Waseca, and Watonwan.

In the meantime, individuals in the declared counties are encouraged to create an application online by visiting disasterassistance.gov/. More information is also available by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.

Matt Pollman, the Lake County Emergency Manager, said he expects the disaster recovery center to be stationed in Virginia for Lake County residents. The dates and times of the center will be updated when more information is available.

For more flood assistance information, contact Matt Pollmann, Lake County Emergency Manager, at 773-844-6449 or Cook County Emergency Managment Director Mike Keyport at 218-387-3059.