Flooding Prompts Beltrami Co. In Northern Minnesota To Declare State Of Emergency
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Officials in Beltrami County in northern Minnesota have declared a state of emergency due to flooding in the area.
In a statement Tuesday, county officials said that the combination of significant snowmelt and heavy rain from Sunday's storms led to flooding across the area. While many roads and culverts were impacted, especially gravel roads, so too was the city hall building in Bemidji, which was flooded when the storm drainage system was overwhelmed.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the flooding has caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage and emergency response, officials say. The county explained that the board chair declared a state of emergency so that emergency management divisions could better respond and so that officials can pursue disaster assistance from the state.
The county says it expects the recent flooding damage to exceed the threshold to qualify for state relief.
