Bemidji mayor says June’s devastating storm was ‘defining moment,’ more funds needed
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During his recent state of the city address, Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince detailed physical and financial damages caused by last June's devastating storm, which he said the city is still grappling with. And he laid out some possible avenues to alleviate some of those burdens.
In his 35-minute address last week, the two-term mayor said the storm dominated much of what happened in the city last year, and the effects will be felt for years to come.
“There are defining moments in every community, and I believe that June 21 was such a moment for Bemidji,” he said. “Because amid all that darkness and loss, I got to witness our community come together in a way I had never seen before.”
The storm that raged through Bemidji produced straight-line winds equal to a Category 3 hurricane. It toppled an estimated 9 million trees, destroyed homes and businesses and knocked out power for tens of thousands.
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Despite $10 million in damage to public property throughout the area, the state did not meet the Federal Emergency Management Aid threshold for federal funds. And Bemidji was still responsible for a quarter of the cleanup costs.
Prince said state House 2A Rep. Bidal Duran is introducing legislation this session which would see the city reimbursed 100 percent by the state.
"If this were to pass, it would be a significant help to our city, and I encourage all to support this bill when it is introduced,” Prince said. “The policy to maintain a healthy financial reserve upheld by this council and staff, along with previous staff and councils, in large part laid the financial foundation, which allowed for our city's response to this catastrophic event.”
Prince also lauded the city’s emergency services response to the catastrophe in the wake of the storm. That included assistance from fire departments across the state through a mutual aid agreement.
“In partnership with the Rural Fire Association, our department responded to 1,546 calls for service without loss of life or serious injury to either civilians or firefighters,” he said. “Achieving this level of success requires preparation, and our firefighters completed 6,200 hours of training and achieved 16 nationally recognized certifications.”
As a result, Prince said Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood received the Minnesota State Fire Chief Association’s Leadership Award. And he was elected the organization’s vice president.
Prince also drew attention to several successes the city had in 2025, like partnering with the Bemidji Indoor Sports Commission to update the Neilson Reise Arena, the YMCA & Rail Corridor Project and work involving the city’s wastewater treatment facility.
He also said THC sales at city-owned liquor stores drew in $155,000.
Looking forward, Prince said the city plans to replace light posts damaged by the storm and replant trees.
