FEMA takes a look at flood damage

Published 6:00 pm Thursday, September 30, 2010

Preliminary estimates of flood damage to government infrastructure show last week’s flood was comparable to the 2008 flood but a far cryfrom 2004. FEMA assessors were in Mower County yesterday, and preliminary estimates show that there was about $256,000 to city infrastructure and $580,000 in county infrastructure.

Emergency management director Wayne Madson said the estimates are still only a ballpark estimate, and he described them as an early step in receiving federal funding. The numbers will be combined with data from other counties and submitted both to the governor and president.

A total of about $6.4 million — which includes all counties affected — is needed to receive federal disaster funding, Madson said. Given the multiple counties reporting damages, Madson said it’s likely damages will surpass that total. Funding could be declared as early as next week, he said.

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After the 2004 flood, about $1.48 million dollars in damage was reported to city infrastructure and about. In 2008, there was about $295,000 reported in county infrastructure damage. About $2.87 million in damage was reported to the entire county infrastructure in ’04.