Friends and neighbors,
This week, a number of communities in southern Minnesota were hit hard by severe weather. I’m sure we’ve all seen the photos and videos of giant hail, the tornado, and property damage on social media. Thankfully, it sounds like nobody was injured.
Next comes the recovery process. I know it can be frustrating, confusing, and stressful, but the following resources might help.
As always, if you have any questions or need any assistance working with state agencies, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Local Emergency Management Personnel
First, be sure to report any damage to your local emergency management team, even if the amount of damage you received was small. Here is contact information for the emergency management personnel in our area:
- Goodhue County Emergency Management: (651) 267-2640
- Rice County Emergency Management: (507) 332-6119
- Steele County Emergency Management: (507) 444-7500
- Waseca County Emergency Management: (507) 835-0630
Disaster Recovery Guides
The Insurance Federation of Minnesota sent out a helpful guide for initial steps after you experience property damage: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67ca0e1e3fc4176c4ebb847f/t/69deb3774a1cde0432343c5a/1776202615690/IFM+-+post+storm+release+26.1+pdf.pdf
In addition, the state publishes several disaster recovery resources you might find helpful:
- The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency has disaster recovery resources for homeowners, renters, business owners, local officials, and more: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/disaster-recovery/Pages/homeowners-renters.aspx
- The Department of Commerce provides a detailed disaster information packet: https://mn.gov/commerce-stat/pdfs/disaster-information.pdf
- The Department of Commerce also has information that will help guide homeowners who have experienced damage: https://mn.gov/commerce/insurance/home/dic/after-the-disaster.jsp
For questions regarding insurance claims
You can also check out the Minnesota Department of Commerce Disaster Information Center. They will help you understand your rights and answer questions you might have regarding possible insurance claims.
Here’s how to reach them:
- By phone: (800) 657-3602
- By email: protection@state.mn.us
- Online: https://mn.gov/commerce/insurance/home/dic/