Media Release: Presidential Disaster Declaration for Olmsted County

Damage reports needed by August 9

August 6, 2024

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 (government property and utilities).

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 one of three ways:

  1. Fill out a damage assessment self reporter survey
  2. Send an email.
    • If you live within the City of Rochester, please email Captain Brett Knapp.
    • 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
    • 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 5 p.m. 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.