New Richland residents to receive assessment visits

New Richland residents can expect front door visits on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week, asking them about losses and expenses incurred due to recent flooding.

 

Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s emergency management division, including commissioners Allison Farole and Bob Jacobson as well as assistant commissioner T. John Cunningham, spoke in New Richland on Sept. 28, expressing admiration for the “neighbors helping neighbors” approach area residents and businesses have shown since the flood.

 

Farole delivered a message intended for area property owners, letting them know small teams of officials will be going door to door to request information about damages, losses, and expenses incurred because of the flooding.

 

Their objective is to tally local losses to see whether they meet the threshold–at least $1 million as well as other determining criteria–to receive a major disaster declaration from the president of the U.S. Such a declaration would allow the area to receive federal assistance.

 

Farole said survey teams could be recognized because there will be at least three of them; all will be wearing embroidered shirts with the logo of the agency they are from; and they will not ask to enter anyone’s home, but will stay outside as they address their questions.

 

For those not at home when teams come knocking, she said, door hangers will be left behind asking residents to supply the information online.

 

Farole encouraged people to speak with the teams and respond to the door hangers, and to do so promptly, so that disaster assistance could be arranged for as quickly as possible.

 

“We want to collect and review the data, so we can identify the full impact of the disaster,” Farole stated.

 

Farole also reported that residents should watch for an upcoming disaster assistance center–a physical location where people can get help connecting with services and resources and receive guidance about steps they can take to replace important documents or find out more about insurance coverage.