BEMIDJI — The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners declared an emergency for the July 31 storm that downed several trees in the Bemidji area.
The storm caused at least $100,000 in damages, which Beltrami County Emergency Management said "could potentially open the door for state disaster reimbursement assistance.”
During the Board's meeting Tuesday, Aug. 20, Beltrami County Emergency Management Director Chris Muller said cleanup and repair costs for Bemidji area parks, streets and electric infrastructure are part of the preliminary estimates.
"We have previously found that when the assessors come in, damage costs are higher than we initially estimate," Muller said.
If assistance is granted, eligible applicants could include the city of Bemidji, Beltrami County, the electric cooperative and other institutions like schools.
The storm damage does not qualify for a federal emergency declaration. The state program does not offer assistance for individuals or private property but does assist communities in offsetting disasters that municipalities don’t typically budget for.
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