[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz sent a letter to the President requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 51 counties and four tribal governments in Minnesota. From March 12 to April 28, major flooding, blizzard conditions and gale force winds combined to cause nearly $40 million dollars in infrastructure damage across the state.

“The transition from winter to spring in Minnesota was exceptionally difficult this year,” Governor Walz’s letter reads. “As always, Minnesotans rose to the occasion and helped each other get through the response to this incident and we are now working together on the recovery from it. The State of Minnesota needs federal assistance to recover from this major natural disaster. Without it, and given the already heavy burden of so many previous state and federal disasters, Minnesotans will struggle to return their communities to normalcy.”

If granted by the President, the federal disaster declaration requested by Governor Walz would provide needed public assistance to reimburse communities for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and repair and replacement of damaged infrastructure.

The damages, as assessed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, in partnership with tribal and county emergency managers, totaled $39,257,773  – well above the $8 million threshold required for a federal declaration. If the President declares a major disaster, FEMA would fund 75 percent of approved costs, and the State of Minnesota would pay the remaining 25 percent.

The full letter from Governor Walz can be read /governor/assets/2019_05_28_Federal_Disaster_Request_Letter_final_tcm1055-388441.pdfhere.