REGIONAL- District 3 Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, pressed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to swiftly approve disaster assistance for homeowners and businesses in northeastern Minnesota in a letter he sent the agency Monday.
“The residents and communities in the Northland are resilient, and they’ve responded to this disaster by working together to help one another get back on their feet,” said Sen. Hauschild. “While we’re grateful for FEMA assistance for public infrastructure disaster relief, federal assistance for our homeowners and small business owners is essential to a full recovery.”
June storms brought heavy rain and wind damage across wide swaths of the North Country, only to be followed by record-setting flooding that quickly inundated Cook and the surrounding region. While assessments of the damage are still ongoing, it is estimated that the final total will approach tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars.
Monday’s letter calling for swift federal assistance was co-signed by District 3A Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely.
“We are grateful for the local, state, and federal emergency response that moved in following the immediate aftermath of this disaster, but the road to recovery will be long,” Hauschild said. “I urge FEMA to accede to Minnesota’s request for individual disaster assistance as soon as possible.”
Hauschild’s letter amplified the urgency he expressed during Gov. Tim Walz’s June 21 visit to view the flood damage in Cook.
“You get to a community like this, and you talk to the folks that felt this devastation firsthand, the business owners, the families with water in their basement, they’re homeless – we’ve got folks that are literally homeless right now unable to get back into their homes,” Hauschild said. “Our local communities had each other’s backs, our neighbors had each other’s backs, and now the state has to have the back of Cook and the communities here in northern Minnesota. That’s my job. So all hands on deck, we’re here to support the community of Cook.”
Additional work
Hauschild’s legislative assistant Jamie Hysjulien was in Cook on Tuesday at a meeting for local business owners convened by the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, and she told the assembly about additional efforts she and Hauschild have been undertaking in regards to flood relief.
“We’ve been working at the state and federal levels to find all available funding for both public and private entities that need some form of relief,” Hysjulien said. “We’re still doing research to find all of the different programs. Grant has been pushing really hard for a special (legislative) session to pass additional dollars for flood relief.
A FEMA disaster declaration for homeowner and business relief would be for flood damages across the entire state, and Hysjulien noted in her remarks that the decision is based on a formula fed by data provided by the state in its application.
Hysjulien also praised the efforts of the IRRRB in responding to the area’s needs. Hauschild and Skraba are both members of the IRRRB advisory board.
State FEMA request status
On Tuesday, the Timberjay received additional information about the FEMA process from Department of Public Safety Public Information Officer Oliver Schuster. At the request of Gov. Tim Walz, federal, state, county, and local officials are conducting damage assessments as part of the process to help determine if the damages meet the criteria for federal individual assistance. Determinations about eligibility for disaster assistance or a declaration are not made during the assessment process, Schuster said.
Schuster encouraged residents and businesses to continue reporting damage to local officials, as damage assessment teams may not visit every property with damage. Reported damage will be used to help determine if the state meets the minimum FEMA threshold for individual assistance.