CONSTRUCTION OF A PERMANENT HEALING HUT IN RURAL MINNESOTA.

>> CATHY: BUT FIRST, WE START TONIGHT WITH FLOODING IN SOUTHEASTERN AND GREATER MINNESOTA THAT HAS LEFT COMMUNITIES STAGGERED.

GOVERNOR WALZ HAS BEEN TRAVELING THE STATE TO CHECK ON THE AFTERMATH FIRSTHAND, AND TODAY HE JOINED STATE COMMISSIONERS AND FEMA IN UPDATING THE SITUATION FROM ROAD CLOSURES TO RECOVERY.

HERE WITH US NOW, PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER BOB JACOBSON.

GOOD TO SEE YOU, COMMISSIONER.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU IT TOO.

>> Cathy: THERE IS A LOT AROUND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, SO LET'S TRY TO GIVE A 30,000-FOOT VIEW.

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF PRELIMINARY DABBLING ESTIMATES AT THIS POINT?

>> SO WE'RE BUSY WORKING ON IS THAT.

WE'VE HAD A TEAM FROM FEMA AND OUR STATE DPICIALS AND LOCAL AND COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO ARE BEGINNING THAT PROCESS.

AS PEOPLE MIGHT REALIZE, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF FLOODING GOING ON SO WE MAY NOT REALIZE THE FULL DAMAGES THAT ARE THERE UNTIL THE FLOODING RECEDED AND WE GET A GOOD LOOK.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT DAMAGE ESTIMATES FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN EXCESS OF 22 MILLION.

AND WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT HOMES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE OUT THERE AS WELL.

SO IT'S STILL COMING.

BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A GREAT IDEA FOR A FEW MORE WEEK.

>> Eric: THIS IS A STATE CONTINGENCY DISASTER FUND, BUT I'M WONDERING IF A SPECIAL SESSION MIGHT BE NEEDED TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT THAT DOESN'T COVER.

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

AND DUE TO THE FORESIGHT OF THE LEGISLATURE IN THE PAST, AND THE GOVERNOR, WE DO HAVE A DISASTER ASSISTANCE CONTINGENCY ACCOUNT RIGHT NOW THAT HAS ABOUT $28 MILLION IN IT.

>> Eric: THAT MUCH?

>> AND AS OF TODAY, WE REQUESTED THE GOVERNOR'S ABILITY TO USE THOSE FUNDS TO BEGIN ASSISTING THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED FROM THAT DISASTER CONTINGENCY ACCOUNT.

SO WE ARE BEGINNING TO WORK ON THAT.

THAT WILL HELP COMPLEMENT ALSO ANY FEDERAL DISASTERS THAT MAY BE DECLARED MPLETS THERE S A MATCH.

SO IF A FEDERAL DISASTER IS DECLARED AND GOVERNOR WALZ HAS ASKED PRESIDENT BIDEN AND FEMA FOR A DECLARATION OF A FEDERAL EMERGENCY, IF THAT HAPPENS, AND THAT IS DECLARED, THEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL COVER ABOUT 75% OF THE COST FOR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THE STATE COSTS WOULD BE ABOUT 25%.

AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS THOSE FUNDS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT AT THE STATE LEVEL CAN BE USED TO HELP OFFSET THAT 25% STATE MATCH.

>> Cathy: SO THE PEACETIME EMERGENCY THAT WAS DECLARED WHERE THE NATIONAL GUARD WAS CALLED OUT TO HELP, THAT'S BEEN EXTENDED FOR 30 DAYS.

AND I'M WONDERING, IS THAT ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA OR ONLY SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE STATE?

>> THAT'S ACROSS THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

SO AGAIN, WE ARE CONTINUING TO RESPOND TO THE FLOODING ISSUES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

SO AS WE GET REQUESTS INTO OUR STATE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, WHETHER IT BE FOR SAND BAGS, OTHER RESOURCES, PERSONNEL, WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT WITH OUR STATE GENCIES.

PART OF THAT PEACETIME DECLARATION ALSO ENABLES S ON CALL OUT THE NATIONAL GUARD FOR THIS.

AND PART OF THAT WILL ENABLE US THAT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, IF THERE'S ASSISTANCE THAT'S NEEDED FOR RESOURCES, WE CAN SEND THE NATIONAL GUARD IN.

WE DO HAVE A CONTINGENCY OF ABOUT 50 NATIONAL GUARDS MEN THAT HAVE BEEN SERVING IN THE JACKSON COUNTY AREA IN THE WINDOM AREA WITH THE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THAT THEY'VE HAD, SO THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

>> Eric: TELL US ABOUT THE RAPIDEVERYONE DAM.

THE RAPIDAN DAM IS STILL STANDING.

WE HAD SOME GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THAT DAM, AS PEOPLE HAVE EEN AND WATCHED THE VIDEO OF THAT.

WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A IMMINENT FAILURE.

WE ARE STILL SOMEWHAT CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN.

BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN, THE WATER ENDED UP FINDING ITS OWN PATH.

IT WEND AROUND THE DAM, RELIEVED SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON THAT DAM, SO IT IS STILL UP.

THE DAM, I WILL REMIND VIEWERS, BELONGS TO BLUE EARTH COUNTY SO WE ARE RELYING ON BLUE EARTH COUNTY ALSO FOR UPDATES AND THE STRUCTURAL ESTIMATES ON REPAIRS AND SO FORTH FOR THAT DAM OR WHAT THEY MAY WANT TO DO IN THE FUTURE.

BUT YEAH, WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.

IF SOMETHING FURTHER HAPPENS, OF COURSE, WE ARE PREPARED FOR ANY CONTINGENCY ON THAT DAM PERHAPS FAILING.

>> Cathy: O THE FAMILY WHO OWNS THE HOME THAT FELL INTO THE RIVER ALSOSON R WNS THE NEARBY STORE.

I'M GOING TO BET IT'S TOUGH UTO BE MADE WHOLE IF YOUR HOUSE OR YOUR BUSINESS IS FLOODED OUT.

HOW DO YOU HELP?

>> THAT'S GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR HAS ALSO SHARED THIS AND WE HAVE AS WELL, BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE ARE WORKING WITH FEMA.

THEY HAD A TEAM ON THE GROUND THIS WEEK.

WE'RE DOING INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT THE DAMAGES MAY BE.

IF THERE IS A DISASTER DECLARATION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FROM FEMA, THAT DOES START TO OPEN UP THE POTENTIAL FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FOR HOMEOWNERS AND FOR BUSINESSES.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REACH THAT THRESHOLD FOR AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION, IS FOR HOMEOWNERS TO MAKE SURE WHO HAVE HAD FLOOD DAMAGE, MAKE SURE AND TAKE DATED PHOTOGRAPHS.

IF THEY REPAIR ANYTHING AROUND THEIR HOME, KEEP THE RECEIPTS.

IF THEY AVE TO REPLACE A WATER HEATER.

BASEMENT COUNTS FOR DAMAGES.

MAKE SURE THEY'RE TALLYING UP ANY OF THE DAMAGES AND COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT.

ONCE FEMA DECIDES OR DETERMINES THAT THERE IS A FEDERAL DISARDZ, THEN THAT WILL SET IN MOTION INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.

IT TAKES TIME.

IT MAY NOT MAKE ALL HOMEOWNERS WHOLE BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO GET EVERY PENNY THAT WE CAN TO HELP ASSIST THEM.

>> Eric: AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES CAME UP AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY.

I SUPPOSE PEOPLE SEE RAIN AND GET A RI LITTLE CONCERNED.

>> Cathy: WHAT CHANGES, I CAN'T IMAGINE OW YOUR LIFE CHANGES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE ALWAYS HAVE CONCERNS, NUMBER ONE, ABOUT THE VICTIMS OUT THERE OF FLOODING.

OUR FARMERS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ROM OUR COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, THOM PETERSEN, WHO TALKED ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO BE A FARMER, BUT WHEN YOU SEE YOUR CROP RUINED FOR THAT NEXT YEAR AND YOU'RE DEALING WITH FLOOD ISSUES, THAT MENTAL HEALTH PIECE IS REALLY DIFFICULT.

FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, I'VE TALKED WITH A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER WHO THEY BELIEVE HAVE LOST THEIR BUSINESS OF 43 YEARS IF THE CITY OF COOK.

AND IT'S GOING TO BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO REBUILD.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ARE LOOKING OUT FOR EACH OTHER.

MINNESOTANS ARE REALLY GOOD ABOUT HECKING ON EACH OTHER.

MAKE SURE AND KEEP TABS ON MENTAL HEALTH.

WE WANT EVERYBODY TO COME THROUGH THIS, THIS FLOODING.

FEELING GOOD.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE THE