Jackson City Mayor Wayne Walter welcomed attendees to the visit by Governor Mark Dayton and other state officials on Monday morning. “Thank you to the community and by that I mean the entire county, not just the city,” Walter added. “Everyone has responded.”
Jackson County declared a state of emergency due to the rains that began on June 16. The state declared the emergency, followed by the city of Jackson last week on July 6.
Dayton, along with Congressman Tim Walz, State Senator Julie Rosen, Representatives Bob Gunther and Rod Hamilton, Commissioner of Agriculture Dave Frederickson and State Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly, visited the area. In addition to the stop in Jackson on Monday, the group stopped in Windom and Blue Earth. Dayton had previously visited Slayton, Walnut Grove and Balaton on Friday.
Jackson County Emergency Management Director Tawn Hall indicated that as of Monday morning, $430,000 in damages was reported in the county, and she expects that number to continue to rise. “I believe it will go up to $750,000,” she added. With several locations still underwater, exact damages are hard to determine at this point.
Roads and bridges throughout the county have been damaged by the flooding and rushing waters of the rainfalls, and the rising rivers and streams.
Hall indicated that the outer border of townships was most severely affected by the flooding, with the townships in the center of the county having minimal if any damages. “Sioux Valley Township had water over nearly every township road,” she added. “Sioux Valley and Round Lake Townships were the worst.”
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