Congressional delegation asks Biden for federal disaster declaration for 38 counties, 4 tribal nations

The state’s entire congressional delegation, (led by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith,) is asking President Biden to approve a federal disaster declaration for 38 counties and four tribal nations in Minnesota: What’s involved is late spring flooding which began on April 22nd and still continues in parts of far northern Minnesota, plus widespread wind and storm damage from May 8th through the 13th. The letter to the president states that preliminary damage estimates by state and federal assessors show losses meet the dollar threshold for federal disaster assistance. It would go to local governments to reimburse for response and clean-up, and to help repair damaged infrastructure. The worst flooding has been in the Red River Valley and the Rainy River Basin. And three severe storms in the second week of May caused widespread damage as they moved southwest to northeast.