ST. PAUL — Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday, Feb. 2, authorized emergency assistance for eight northeastern and southwestern Minnesota counties — including Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing counties — due to damage caused by heavy snowstorms and high winds Dec. 13 through Dec. 16.
“Minnesota’s emergency management team continues to work in partnership with local counties to assess and address damages caused by heavy snowstorms in December,” Walz said in a news release. “We are committed to delivering assistance quickly and supporting the communities in these counties as they recover from these severe weather events.”
From Dec. 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As climate change increases the frequency of extreme weather events, impacts to outdated infrastructure and roadways caused millions of dollars in damages statewide, the governor’s office reported in the news release. Collaborative emergency planning at all levels of government and investments in infrastructure are critical to safeguarding against future damage.
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