Parts of southeastern Minnesota were hit hard this weekend by severe weather, including three possible tornadoes in Fillmore County. Thankfully, there haven’t been any reports of injuries to people or livestock losses.
Next comes the recovery process. Recovering from a natural disaster can be confusing and stressful, but these resources might help.
First, be sure to report any damage to your local emergency management team as soon as possible, even if the amount of damage you received was small. Here is contact information for the emergency management personnel in our area. Even if you weren’t in the path of the storm, it’s good to save this information just in case.
• Fillmore County: Don Kullot, director; 901 Houston St. NW, Preston, (507) 765-3874
• Houston County: Olivia Niday, director; 306 S. Marshall St, Courthouse, Ste 2008, (507) 725-3379
• Winona County: Ben Klinger, director; 201 W. 3rd St, Winona, (507) 457-8266
Disaster recovery guides
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://dps.mn.gov/divisions/hsem/disaster-recovery/Documents/commerce-disaster-packet.pdf.
• The Department of Commerce also has information that will help guide homeowners who have experienced flood damage: https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-home/protect/other/floods/what-to-do.jsp.
For questions regarding insurance claims
You can also check out the Minnesota Department of Commerce Consumer Services 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, emailconsumer.protection@state.mn.us; online, https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-home/protect/dic/.