Storms start to move out of Minnesota, continue for western Wisconsin

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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.

      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.

(MPR reporter Elizabeth Dunbar contributed to this report.)

Gallery

Wadena residents take stock of their losses after tornado

Timeline of Thursday's storms

Photos: Tornadoes sweep across Minnesota

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.


Officials start to assess storm damage in Minn.

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