Dayton asks for federal help for individual home, business owners affected by Northland flooding

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Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has formally requested federal financial assistance for individual home and business owners affected by June’s torrential rains and flooding in the Northland.

Dayton’s office reported today that he sent a letter to President Obama requesting individual assistance for residents of Aitkin, Carlton, Crow Wing, Lake, Pine and St. Louis counties, as well as the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

Dayton made the request after a weeklong damage assessment by teams from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The teams surveyed more than 1,100 homes and found, based on FEMA classifications, 17 destroyed, 154 with major damage, 419 with minor damage and 479 others at least affected by the floods.

Dayton asked for assistance through several federal programs, including the Individuals and Households Program, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Disaster Legal Services and Crisis Counseling. The Individual and Households Program provides money and services to people in the disaster area when losses are not covered by insurance and property has been damaged or destroyed. This request includes programs available through the Small Business Administration.

If Obama grants the state request, individual home and business owners still must apply and be approved for the federal aid. And the programs are not expected to pay for all or even most of the cost of rebuilding. While homeowners can apply for up to $31,400 in grants, FEMA officials last week said the national average is only about $3,000 per homeowner.

If the president approves the governor’s request, several low-interest loan options also will be available for home and business owners.

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