Disaster recovery, Minnesota style
May 29, 2019
Earthquakes. Hurricanes. Tsunamis. We may not get certain types of natural disasters in Minnesota – but did you know we’re still one of the most disaster-prone states in the nation? When you combine long, harsh winters with more than 10,000 lakes and lots of rivers, we get our fair share of flooding. Take this spring, for example: between snowmelt, rainstorms, and winter storm Wesley, Minnesota’s public property and infrastructure – roads, bridges, utilities, public buildings, parks and the like – suffered quite a bit of damage between March 12 and April 28.
In fact, initial damage assessments in 50 counties and four tribal nations exceeded $32 million, which is four times more than Minnesota’s public assistance statewide indicator of $7.9 million. That was enough for federal, state and local officials to conduct a preliminary damage assessment (PDA), which showed a total of over $39 million in damages and added Roseau County to those affected.
Governor Walz has requested a major disaster declaration from the president through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Once a disaster declaration is made, FEMA will reimburse communities for 75 percent of their damages. Through the Disaster Assistance Contingency Account, the state will take care of the remaining 25 percent. That means the counties and tribal nations with damages to public property and infrastructure can repair them knowing they’ll be reimbursed for their expenses.
What’s more, the affected counties and tribal nations will get reimbursed for the public safety measures they had to take during the incident period. That covers things like overtime for law enforcement as they carried out protective measures and public works employees while they barricaded and closed flooded roads.
All of this is about public property, though, not private – and we’re not done with this year’s rainstorms. So if one comes through and damages your home, check with your insurance agent to see if the cost of repairs is covered. Flooding and water/sewer backups often aren’t, unless you have separate flood insurance.
Either way, be sure to report any significant damages to your county emergency manager. It’s unusual – but not entirely out of the question – to receive aid for damages to private property from a disaster declaration. So even though we don’t have disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes, we do have disasters of our own, and it’s best to be prepared.
