9 Minnesota counties will get federal money to pay for flooding damage

Nine southeastern Minnesota counties are getting money from the federal government to help following the heavy rainstorms and flooding that caused millions of dollars worth of damage back in September.

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in the state at the request of Gov. Mark Dayton following the Sept. 21-22 storms that dumped up to 10 inches of rain in some southern Minnesota communities in a span of 48 hours, a news release says.

All this rain fell on already saturated ground from the wet summer Minnesota had, which caused flash flooding, washed out roads and flooded basements, according to the Minnesota DNR. The flooding was so bad in some places, people were forced to abandon their cars on the road. (See photos of all the damage here.)

Officials assessed the damage in Blue Earth, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Le Sueur, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties last month. They estimated there was $8.3 million in eligible public infrastructure damage in these counties, as well as around $10.1 million of household and individual damage.

With the president's declaration, FEMA will pay for 75 percent of the eligible public infrastructure costs (like removing debris or repairing or replacing storm-damage public infrastructure), while the state of Minnesota will pay the remaining 25 percent.

This federal aid could also help people pay for flooding damage to their homes. That request from Gov. Dayton is still under review by FEMA.