Minnesota Authorizes State Disaster Assistance for Six Counties: Four Southern Counties for September Flooding, Two Northern Counties for July Wildfires
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on November 11 authorized state disaster assistance for six counties: Fillmore, Houston, Steele and Waseca counties in southern Minnesota, for heavy rainfall and flooding that began on September 19, and Cook and Lake counties in the north, for wildfires that began on July 7. The money comes from the state Disaster Assistance Contingency Account (DACA), which helps eligible local governments cover disaster costs beyond their local resources. The total amount will be determined after recovery work is completed and expenses are documented.
The September flooding brought mudslides and road closures and damaged homes and other property across parts of southern Minnesota. The Homeland Security and Emergency Management division of the state Department of Public Safety had already worked with county officials to assess the damage and coordinate recovery, and the new state assistance builds on that work.
During the response to the northern wildfires, Walz declared and later extended a peacetime emergency, mobilized the Minnesota National Guard and directed state agencies to coordinate firefighting and emergency operations. "We are grateful to the emergency responders, local officials, volunteers, and community members who have worked together to support their neighbors through these disasters," Walz said in the statement announcing the additional funding, adding that the assistance will help repair critical public infrastructure.
The state assistance is separate from a federal track: for the four southern flooding counties, Minnesota has separately sought federal Individual Assistance under a major disaster declaration, a request whose outcome rests with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
(Source: Office of the Governor of Minnesota)
Source: Office of the Governor of Minnesota
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于 St. Paul 的明尼苏达州议会大厦。McGhiever 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. Photo by McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
