Gov. Walz authorizes disaster assistance for eight Minnesota counties
Gov. Tim Walz unveiled his budget for the next two years on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in St. Paul, Minn. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP)
(ABC 6 News) – Governor Tim Walz has authorized emergency assistance for eight Northeastern and Southwestern Minnesota counties due to damage caused by heavy snowstorms and high winds from December 13 through December 16, 2022.
“Minnesota’s emergency management team continues to work in partnership with local counties to assess and address damages caused by heavy snowstorms in December,” said Governor Walz. “We are committed to delivering assistance quickly and supporting the communities in these counties as they recover from these severe weather events.”
From December 13-16, Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, Lincoln, Pine, and St. Louis counties experienced significant damage caused by severe snowstorms and wind.
As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, impacts to outdated infrastructure and roadways have caused millions of dollars in damages statewide. Collaborative emergency planning at all levels of government and investments in infrastructure are critical to safeguarding against future damage.