Beltrami County Board Chairman Tim Sumner has declared Beltrami County to be in a state of emergency due to recent flooding caused by heavy rainfall and a late snow melt.

Early on April 23rd, many areas of the county received in excess of three inches of rainfall from thunderstorms that, combined with snow melt, resulted in considerable overland flooding across much of Beltrami County. Numerous roadways in the area experienced culvert washouts and roadway washouts. The City of Bemidji experienced flooding at City Hall due to the storm drainage system being overwhelmed from heavy rainfall.

Preliminary estimates indicate tens of thousands of dollars of damage and expense related to the emergency response to flooding. It is likely that Beltrami County will exceed the threshold to qualify for state disaster assistance through the state of Minnesota.

The state of emergency declaration enables the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management and other county departments to respond to the flooding with increased resources and pursue disaster assistance reimbursement for expenses and damages to public infrastructure in Beltrami County.

Local governments and agencies who have had damages or expenses related to the flooding should report them to Emergency Management Director Christopher Muller at chris.muller@co.beltrami.mn.us. The Beltrami County Board of Commissioners will have a special meeting this Friday, April 29th at 10 AM in the Beltrami County Board Room to discuss the emergency declaration.

By — Lakeland News