St. Louis County Officially Declares State of Local Disaster

The St. Louis County Board of Commissioners held an emergency meeting on Thursday morning to declare a state of local disaster.

The declaration comes as municipalities across the Northlands react to the flooding caused by severe storms earlier this week, with even more rain in the forecast for the weekend. The City of Virginia also declared a state of local disaster independently of St. Louis County.

The declarations will allow area municipalities to seek state or federal funding to assist in their relief efforts and for future repairs. The flooding has caused road washouts, property damage, and a variety of other issues across the region. 43 roads across the county had to be closed due to damage caused by the floods on Tuesday.

According to a Northern News Now report, the City of Duluth managed to minimize the damage caused by the floods due to infrastructure upgrades made following a 2012 flood. That flood caused about $100 million in damages in the city, but this time the city suffered only minor damage to some trails and parks. The majority of the severe flood damage caused by this storm has been further north of the city.

In addition to the declaration of local disaster by St. Louis County to seek outside funding assistance, the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation is raising funds to help community members affected by the flooding. According to a WDIO report, their efforts are targeted towards temporary housing assistance, infrastructure repair, mold remediation, mental health services, and community clean-ups.