(ABC 6 News) — Severe weather, heavy rainfall, and flooding that occurred June 16 through July 4, 2024,
prompted a Presidential Disaster Declaration for many counties throughout Minnesota.

While not included in the original federal disaster declaration, last Friday, Olmsted County Emergency
Management received delayed initial damage estimates which put Olmsted County above its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) damage indicator for its Public Assistance program.

FEMA is now requesting damage reports from Olmsted County residents by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 9, 2024, to determine if they are eligible for FEMA’s Individual Assistance program (private property) as part of this disaster.

Individual assistance may provide relief from damages to homes caused by flooding, seepage, sewer backups, or other significant storm damage (from fallen trees/limbs, wind, hail) that occurred during the Presidential Disaster Declaration period. Residents must have documentation that the damage occurred from June 16 through July 4, 2024.

Olmsted County residents can report damage in a number of ways:

1.) Scan this QR code and follow the prompts:

2.) If you live within the City of Rochester, please email Captain Brett Knapp at
bknapp@rochestermn.gov.

If you live in Olmsted County but reside in a township or a city other than the City of
Rochester, please email Captain Jonathan Jacobson at
jonathan.jacobson@olmstedcounty.gov
Please include the following information in your email:

• Your full name
• Address where damage occurred
• Phone number
• Explanation of the type of damage that occurred
• When the damage occurred
• Indication that you have documentation of the damage that occurred in the
  disaster period

3.) If you don’t have a smart phone, tablet or email, and you:

• Live in the City of Rochester, please call (507)328-2823
• Live in Olmsted County but reside in a township or a city other than the City of
  Rochester, please call (507)328-6101
• If there is no answer, please leave a message with your name and phone
  number and a member of our emergency management team will return your call
  as soon as possible

Again, FEMA is asking for individual property owner damage reports by 5pm on Friday,
August 9. Olmsted County Emergency Management is collecting this data on behalf of FEMA
to streamline response efforts.

Once the information is received, FEMA, along with other Emergency Management personnel, will contact homeowners to schedule a brief inspection. Inspections normally last less than 10 minutes.

Small businesses are not included in FEMA’s Individual Assistance program. However, the Small Business Administration (SBA) does help following Presidential Disaster Declarations. If you are a business owner and your property and/or business was affected by weather-related events within the disaster period, you are also encouraged to report damage using one of the three ways outlined above.

For more information, click here.