It was announced on Friday that Dodge and Olmsted counties are set to receive more than $3 million in state disaster relief funds in response to the severe weather and flooding that blasted the area earlier this summer.

On Sept. 12, Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management to allocate the funds from the state’s Disaster Contingency Account.

“I’m grateful our region is getting the assistance we need to deal with the problems caused by this summer’s heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe weather,” said Senator David Senjem (R-Rochester) in a press release. “Some communities received between 12 and 16 inches of rainfall over a very short period of time. That had a tremendous impact on our area’s infrastructure and attractions. That damage comes with a big cost and I will continue to partner with the governor and our state agencies to make sure our region can recover quickly.”

The funds come from the state’s Disaster Contingency Account, which reimburses local governments at 75 percent of the assessed damage. Dodge County will receive a forecasted $1,154,687, while Olmsted County will receive an estimated $1,908,251 in relief. The numbers are estimates and not actual award amounts; counties will be reimbursed after repair and restoration work is documented and completed. The total estimated assistance across all of southern Minnesota is just shy of $4 million.

Excessive rainfall and severe weather hit southeastern Minnesota in late June and early July, causing extensive damage across Dodge and Olmsted counties. As a result, county and state highways were underwater and impassable and area parks, bridges and roadways across the region suffered extensive damage.