Dayton directs state disaster aid to Dakota Co.

Dakota County will receive state disaster aid to help pay for repairs following severe storms and flooding this summer. On Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Minnesota officials' appeal to include the county in its disaster declaration.

In its denial of federal aid, FEMA said the damage from storms and flooding in mid-June was not severe enough to warrant federal aid.

A hilltop street in the small town of Mendota in Dakota County cracked after heavy rains in June leading to fears of a landslide.

Minnesota Homeland Security & Emergency Management Director Kris Eide said the state will pick up most of the cost through the new public disaster assistance fund.

"Every time we have a presidential declaration, there's always somebody that's on the 'have not' side of it," Eide said. "They either get stuck for the entire amount of their damage or a legislator has to bring it forward, and then it's not necessarily all in a coordinated manner."

Eide estimated the damage costs in Dakota County at about $1.2 million.

FEMA has approved 37 Minnesota counties and three tribal governments for help rebuilding public infrastructure such as roads. The damage is estimated at around $41 million, with FEMA assistance capped at 75 percent of the total cost.

Eide said the state will administer its own $3 million disaster contingency fund according to a similar formula to help Dakota County.

"They'll repair what they need to repair and then they will bill us as they need to be reimbursed," Eide said. "So then we will give them 75 percent and they have to come up with the other 25 percent."

In addition to FEMA funding, the state also is expected to receive $10 million in Federal Highway Administration emergency repair funds to help fix flood-damaged bridges and roads.