Forum News Service
ST. PAUL - Gov. Mark Dayton declared a state of emergency Thursday in 35 Minnesota counties in response to flooding and other problems related to heavy rainfall in recent days.
Dayton’s executive order makes a range of state resources available and engages state agencies in response efforts.
The governor directed the Minnesota National Guard to send 100 soldiers to Koochiching County to help in storm affected areas.
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The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has activated the State Emergency Operations Center. The center was partially activated earlier in the week and is now fully activated.
“We’re ramping up our efforts to help communities across the state that are dealing with storm damage and high water due to the recent heavy rains,” said Kris Eide, Homeland Security and Emergency Management director, in a news release. “The state’s emergency operations center is in contact with emergency managers in the affected areas, and we are coordinating the state’s response as directed by the governor’s state of emergency.”
A full activation of the Emergency Operations Center occurs when there are significant impacts from an event over several or large areas of the state. Storms that have caused flooding and other damage began on June 11 and are continuing; the National Weather Service is predicting additional rain for regions that are saturated or are experiencing rising river and lake levels.
State agencies are now in the Emergency Operations Center to monitor conditions around the state and respond to resource requests from local emergency managers.
The full list of counties: Beltrami, Blue Earth, Brown, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Grant, Hubbard, Jackson, Lake of the Woods, Le Sueur, Lyon, Koochiching, McLeod, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pipestone, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Roseau, Saint Louis, Scott, Sibley, Steele, Todd, and Waseca.
