Homeland Security and Emergency Management

A Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety

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What's New?

Application Deadline Extended for FEMA Individual Assistance

ST. PAUL –Homeowners and renters who suffered damage to their property from the severe storms and floods of June 16 -July 4 have additional time to apply for federal disaster assistance.

FEMA has extended the application deadline to October 27, 2024, for survivors in the 21 Minnesota countiesdesignated for Individual Assistance.

Incident management team is 'here to help'

When an emergency hits, it is immediately all hands on deck for local public safety officials. But sometimes, like during the flooding in Jackson County or the aftermath of devastating Iowa tornadoes, they need some extra hands. That's where the All-Hazards Incident Management Team (AHIMT) comes in.

The AHIMT is a team based in Anoka County whose work is coordinated by our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division. HSEM facilitates the team's missions both in Minnesota, such as when the team responded to flooding in Jackson County this summer, and out of state, like when the AHIMT helped Iowa respond to deadly tornados the last week of May.

For more information vist the DPS blog.

CERT volunteers step up in Faribault during flooding

When a flood hits a community like it did Faribault, Minn., earlier this summer, the amount of work that needs to go into responding and recovering can be overwhelming. While emergency services and public safety professionals jump into action, they don't always do it alone. Thankfully, Minnesotans are willing to step up to help their neighbors through the community emergency response team (CERT) program.

CERTs are coordinated with help from our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local partners — in the case of the Rice County CERT, the Faribault Fire Department.

“These are trained volunteers who make a huge difference for their neighbors," HSEM Director Kristi Rollwagen said. “It proves the value of these private-public partnerships, in which private individuals step in to help, adding to the resources provided by public servants."

For more information visit the DPS blog.

Federal Disaster Declaration Expanded to Include Individual Assistance for Minnesotans Impacted by Flooding

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[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesotans in 19 counties working to recover from this year’s flooding can now request individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help recover from losses they suffered. The declaration will provide resources to reimburse individuals and communities for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repair and replacement of damaged infrastructure.

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. Additional county designations may be added to the declaration if requested and warranted by the results of damage assessments.

Currently, individuals in the declared counties are encouraged to create an application online by visiting disasterassistance.gov. You can also call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Specialists are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.