Klobuchar, Walz Say Expanded Emergency Declaration Will Bring Much-Needed Aid for Southeastern Minnesota

Press Release

KLOBUCHAR, WALZ SAY EXPANDED EMERGENCY DECLARATION WILL BRING MUCH-NEEDED AID FOR SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA

Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Congressman Tim Walz today said that today's announcement to expand the federal disaster declaration to include Dodge County and expand assistance for Fillmore, Houston, Olmsted, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona Counties will ensure localities damaged by flooding will be eligible for the full extent of federal public assistance dollars. Klobuchar and Walz have both made several tours of the area to see the damage first-hand and pushed to ensure the affected region would have the federal assistance it needs to start rebuilding.

"The scale of the flood damage throughout the region clearly qualifies as a major disaster. Today's announcement is a step in the right direction to rebuild roads and bridges, homes and businesses, and whole communities," said Klobuchar, who is a member of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee. "These floods have devastated entire communities which will have to rebuild from the ground up. We must make sure that the infrastructure is in place to restore and sustain these communities, and help prevent future flooding."

"This amended disaster declaration improves the chances that our communities will recovery quickly," Walz said. "Recovering from a flood isn't just about clearing debris and removing moldy sheetrock - for a community to truly recover, the residents need to see roads and bridges repaired, preventative measures put in place to prevent future flooding, and community institutions like schools and parks restored. I'm pleased that Minnesota's seven flood damaged counties are now eligible for federal assistance for these types of projects and I will work every day to make sure that the federal government is a good partner in these recovery efforts."

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