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Bemidji cleanup continues after June 'microbust' storm
Beltrami County Director of Emergency Management Christopher Muller spoke with FOX 9's Lauren Andrego about the thousands of trees taken down by storms in June. Muller said many of the trees in and around Bemidji spanned "multiple generations," and that 'We're never gonna see where it was in our lifetime."
BELTRAMI CO., Minn. (FOX 9) - Still cleaning up from damaging storms that rolled through the region on June 21, Beltrami County Emergency Management says the state fell $800,000 short of damages needed to be eligible to request federal assistance to help with cleanup efforts.
Beltrami County storm damage
What we know:
In a social media post on Wednesday, the agency said it had assessed roughly $8.3 million in tree damage, using a formula based on the average number of trees per acre, combined with the amount of acreage that was impacted, to estimate the total tree loss.
The agency said that number is likely to increase as final assessments are made.
However, for Minnesota to qualify to be eligible for a federal declaration, approximately $10.7 million in damages is needed between the state and tribal nation assessments.
Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Christopher Muller said many of the destroyed trees were multiple generations old, and no one in the area had ever seen such extensive damage.
Muller said the forests will not be the same, and that "We're never going to see it return to where it was within our lifetime."
State program help
Dig deeper:
The county could still qualify for public entities to receive reimbursement through Minnesota’s Disaster Assistance Contingency Account (DACA) if Gov. Walz approves a State Disaster Declaration.
Under the program, DACA would be able to assist at a 75% reimbursement rate, as opposed to the 100% level if approved for federal help.
On July 1, Walz announced the authorization of emergency assistance for areas of St. Louis County, which suffered damage caused by wildfires in May.
What they're saying:
"While we are disappointed we fell short of qualifying for federal assistance, we are grateful Minnesota has our state program," Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Christopher Muller told FOX 9. "The Disaster Assistance Contingency Account will provide 75% reimbursement for eligible damages and activity. Without that assistance, not only would the storm have been physically destructive, but financially as well."
What's next:
The lack of reimbursement could ultimately mean damage repairs will impact the county’s budget in the future.
An online fundraiser created through United Way has been started to help "support local agencies serving the community."
As of Thursday morning, it had raised $3,749.
The Source: Information provided by Beltrami County Emergency Management