Flood damage assessed

State and federal emergency workers are going county by county to tally up the damage from this summer’s massive floods.

In Beltrami County, a damage assessment team issued a preliminary finding that the region suffered $174,000 in damage to public infrastructure in June and July.

If the damage is severe enough, the county will qualify for state or federal assistance. Heavy rains pushed the Tamarac River over its banks near Waskish, flooding the Big Bog State Recreation area and nearby roads both in the county and in the neighboring Red Lake Nation.

President Obama declared a federal disaster in eight Minnesota counties — Chippewa, Freeborn, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Renville and Rock — making those counties eligible for federal funding to aid the state and local governments in recovery. That number is expected to rise.