Dear neighbors,
Governor Dayton declared a State of Emergency in 35 counties due to severe storms and flooding, including Mower, Dodge and Freeborn counties.
The Executive Order makes a wide range of state resources available and engages state agencies in response efforts to help our fellow Minnesotans in this time of tremendous need.
To ensure aid is available for our communities impacted by natural disasters like the one we currently face, the legislature created a new program to provide disaster relief grants to local units of government that sustain significant damage but are not eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). According to news reports from the Associated Press, the magnitude and widespread geographic nature of flooding make a federal disaster request a near certainty.
Federal and state aid typically only covers costs to repair and replace uninsured public infrastructure, not damage to personal property, but financial assistance may still be possible for homeowners, renters and business owners from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Click here to open a fact sheet that provides more information about eligibility requirements for SBA aid.
When major floods and storms hit, individuals, families and businesses have a variety of insurance issues to address. The Minnesota Department of Commerce set up a one-stop-shop to help Minnesotans prepare for the worst and make informed insurance decisions after a catastrophic loss:
http://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/disaster-information-center/
In addition, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has created a web page with statewide flood-related information that includes information about road closures:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/flood/
I will provide additional information about disaster relief for our communities as it becomes available. If I can be of any assistance at any time, please contact me by phone at (651) 296-4193 or email me at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Poppe
State Representative, District 27B
Chair, Agriculture Policy Committee