Federal, state funds approved for local disaster declarations

Two local utilities and three units of government will share in nearly $4 million in disaster aid from May 31 and July 5 weather events in Rock County.
“It’s not a huge amount to the county but it is to the townships,” said Kyle Oldre, emergency management director.
Oldre received notification Tuesday that the State of Minnesota approved the preliminary assessment amount of $84,350 in road damage from the July 5 weather event.
The state will reimburse 75 percent of the damage with the Rock County Highway Department, Magnolia and Springwater townships fronting 25 percent of the repair costs.
The excessive rain event in early July caused $30,740 in damages to county roads and $30,900 and $22,710 to Magnolia and Springwater township roads respectively.
Earlier this month, a federal declaration was approved for $300,000 to repair overhead electric lines after the May 31 weather event.
Winds in excess of 100 miles per hour caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to powerlines owned by the L&O Power Cooperative and $200,000 to Sioux Valley Energy lines.
The federal disaster reimbursements to the electric cooperatives were approved Aug. 9 and included 22 other counties in southern Minnesota.
The cooperatives will be responsible for 25 percent of repair costs, and the federal government will pay 75 percent.
A separate May 12 weather event with winds up to 90 mph did not cause enough local damage to meet state or federal thresholds for disaster aid.