Minnesota to Appeal FEMA Decision, Seek More Tornado Aid

Gov. Mark Dayton said today he will appeal the decision by the federal government to deny individual assistance to victims of the tornado that ravaged Minneapolis and other parts of Hennepin County last month.

The governor sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on May 27 asking for the individual assistance to help people cover uninsured losses and other costs, but the agency last week. Gov. Dayton said he will direct his Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director, Kris Eide, to file the appeal.

Some help is already on the way, however. President Barack Obama declared a June 7, freeing $16 million of federal funds to help repair public infrastructure in Hennepin and Anoka counties.

The tornado touched down in St. Louis Park on May 22, doing . The storm then traveled into North Minneapolis, where it killed one and destroyed more than 100 homes.