Could Roseville Get Federal Help With Storm Damage?

(Patch Field Editor James Sanna wrote this article.)

This week, Governor Mark Dayton and other state officials set the ball rolling on attempts to get federal disaster aid for cities and counties hit hard by last month's thunderstorms.

Several lines of storms lashed the Twin Cities area, knocking out power to more than half a million Xcel Energy customers, some of which did not see their power restored for days.

Wednesday, Dayton signed an executive order in response to the storms, outages, and flash flooding caused by the storm. The day before, state Department of Public Safety officials formally asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to examine storm damage to see if it qualifies the state for help from the national government. If federal officials agree, Roseville could be on the receiving end of money to help pay for cleanup or other expenses related to the storm.

In a press release, DPS spokesperson Doug Neville said that recovery and cleanup costs related to the storms could well surpass the $7.26 million threshold required to receive consideration for federal funding. State and local governments can also receive funding for programs to help prevent future storm damage.

"It’s too early to say which counties were hit hardest by the storms," Neville said, because counties are still compiling information on damages. "Each county has to meet a similar threshold based on the county’s population. So the threshold for Hennepin or Ramsey counties would be much higher than a county with less population."

Roseville won't know if it gets any aid until much later in the process, he added, as FEMA's analysis does not go any deeper than the county level. Dayton's letter named 26 Minnesota counties, including Ramsey.