Funding related to tornadoes is still available to locals

Freeborn County officials submitted an application to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development on Sept. 8 to seek funding to help individual homeowners with debris removal from the Sept. 22 floods.

According to Freeborn County Administrator John Kluever, this funding would be very similar to the grant funding received for individual cleanup after the tornado storm damage in June.

Kluever does not know how much debris removal funding the county would qualify for this time around.

In August, the Minnesota DEED’s Small Cities Program allocated $200,000 for Freeborn County to disperse among residents or businesses that applied for assistance in debris removal.

The deadline for the tornado debris removal applications to be submitted to Freeborn County is Oct. 15.

Kluever said of the $200,000 allocated, about $97,000 remains unclaimed and available for use. “A fair amount of people had estimates done but haven’t completed the work yet,” Kluever said.

The assistance is only for the cost of debris removal for area residents. It can be the cost that has been paid to remove or dispose of debris, or it could cover the estimated cost of debris that has yet to be removed.

Kluever said that 21 county residents have turned in all of the necessary documentation to be fully reimbursed for debris removal, to date. He said claims received by the county have been as low as $500 and as high as $20,277.

Only residents who received damage between June 17 and June 26 of this year should apply. Kluever said residents must have insurance and a letter from their insurance agency stating their policy did not cover the cost of debris removal.

Applications were sent out to residents who let county officials know they had damage after the June storm events. Applications can still be obtained on the Freeborn County website or at the Freeborn County courthouse. The applications must be hand-delivered to the courthouse or Albert Lea Housing Authority to qualify.

Kluever said that if any funds are still available after Oct. 15, the county will accept additional applications based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The funds will then be available until depleted or after a 30-month expiration period from August 2010, whichever happens first.