Officials start to assess storm damage in Minn.
Teams of local, state and federal officials are beginning to tour parts of Minnesota to assess the damage left behind by last week's tornadoes.
The teams plan to conduct preliminary damage assessments in seven counties on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The preliminary assessments will give a sense of the scope of the damage, and help Gov. Tim Pawlenty determine whether he'll request a major disaster declaration from President Barack Obama.
Officials from the state's division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and local officials will take part in the tour.
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The teams will visit Faribault, Freeborn, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Polk, Steele and Wadena counties.
If the state qualifies for a major disaster declaration, the federal government would pay 75 percent of the cost of replacing and repairing public infrastructure. Individuals would also be eligible for assistance ranging from grants to low-interest loans.
"There's a whole suite of programs, not just from FEMA, but from other federal programs that really come into play when there's a federal disaster declaration," said Kris Eide, Minnesota's director of homeland security and emergency management.
The series of storms that hit the state Thursday killed three people and injured dozens more.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
(MPR reporter Elizabeth Dunbar contributed to this report.)
