State park in Duluth set to reopen 4 months after flood damage

A popular state park in Duluth that was closed for four months after devastating floods swept through Northeastern Minnesota is set to reopen Monday. Restrictions will remain in place at Jay Cooke State Park, however, since repairs have yet to be completed after the floods washed away roads, trails and bridges.

Author:
BMTN Staff
Updated:
Mar 8, 2018
Original:
Oct 20, 2012

A popular state park in Duluth that was closed for four months after devastating floods is set to reopen Monday, the Duluth News Tribune reported.

Restrictions will remain in place at Jay Cooke State Park, however, since repairs have yet to be completed after the floods swept away roads, trails and bridges.

The floods swept through Northeastern Minnesota in mid-June.

Minnesota lawmakers authorized flood relief at a special session in August, which came in addition to funds provided in July by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Gov. Mark Dayton lost an appeal with FEMA in August over the agency's denial of individual flood assistance.

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All backcountry trails and campsites are closed, as well as many frontcountry sites.

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"It is horrifying and difficult to process a tragedy of this magnitude, especially in our close-knit community," the superintendent wrote.

Duluth officials said Friday that about $20 million in damages to parks was caused by the flooding in northeastern Minnesota in June. Damage was caused to roughly two-thirds of the Duluth's 30 parks, and all 14 of the city's trails were damaged. Officials said while repair work is under way at each park, residents can continue to use them with caution.

The disaster declaration for 13 Minnesota counties and three tribal nations devastated by flooding in northeastern Minnesota last month was approved Friday by the federal government. The $108 million in aid only covers damage to public infrastructure.

Jay Cooke State Park was devastated by June flooding that washed away roads, trails and bridges, but the park plans to reopen next week. Park officials have been suffering from "visitor withdrawal," one told the Duluth News Tribune. The park will have diminished services for a while. About 38 of 50 miles of hiking trails are open, and visitors will only be able to access the park from the west.

One of the state officials who accompanied federal inspectors on their tour of flood damage says Minnesota will have no trouble passing the $7.1 million threshold to qualify for aid from FEMA. A state Senator from Duluth says the feds typically cover about three-fourths of the cost of repairs to infrastructure, with state and local governments paying the rest.

Everybody's pitching in to get flood-damaged Duluth back on its feet, including the city's younger residents. KAAL-TV reports that some local kids have set up a stand to sell lemonade and Rice Krispie treats at 50 cents a piece, and so far they've raised $50. The Lake Superior Zoo lost several animals in the recent flooding.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied an appeal Friday from Gov. Mark Dayton for aid for individuals and businesses affected by floods in northeastern Minnesota in June. Dayton said he was "disappointed" by FEMA's ruling and that he'll ask the state legislature for an estimated $7.4 million in assistance in an upcoming special session.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar toured flood-damaged areas of Duluth and other parts of northeastern Minnesota Friday, and after declaring the damage massive assured federal aid would be coming to the area. The federal government contributes more than 75 percent to uninsured public infrastructure when natural disasters cause more than $8 million damage.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will continue assessing damage to private property stemming from the floods in northeast Minnesota last month, and will be here for as long needed. State and federal officials have been in Carlton, St. Louis, Aitkin and Pine counties, as well as on the Fond du Lac Reservation, looking at the damage.

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