Governor Tim Walz 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 individual assessment declaration is the next step in the state’s ongoing dedication to assisting affected communities.
While individual assistance cannot compensate for all losses caused by a disaster, it is a significant step in helping people meet their basic needs and supplement disaster recovery efforts.
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.
More information on how to access these centers will be forthcoming from FEMA.
In the meantime, 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.
For Lake County residents, the disaster recovery center will most likely be in Virginia, where individuals can apply for reimbursement or funds to repair damages. The dates and times of the center will be updated when more information is available.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Matt Pollmann, Lake County Emergency Manager, at 773-844-6449.
