ST. PAUL -- Minnesota wants federal authorities to add 30 counties and two tribal governments to a flood disaster declaration.
Damage and recovery costs continue to be added up from June floods that affected more than half of Minnesota's 87 counties. While Washington has approved eight counties for assistance for state and local governments to recover from the floods, new cost estimates prompted Emergency Management Director Kris Eide to seek federal aid for more counties.
The federal government will pay 75 percent of public damage and recovery costs in counties with presidential disaster declarations. The state will pay the rest.
Counties Eide asked to be added are Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Dakota, Dodge, Faribault, Hennepin, Koochiching, Lac Qui Parle, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Marshall, Martin, McLeod, Nicollet, Ramsey, Redwood, Rice, Roseau, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Todd, Wadena, Waseca, Watonwan, Wright and Yellow Medicine. Tribal governments seeking disaster aid are Red Lake Band of Chippewa and Prairie Island Indian Community.
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President Barack Obama already issued a disaster declaration for Chippewa, Freeborn, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Renville and Rock counties.
