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It’s been months now since June storms brought flood waters to Mower County, and while the county is still dealing with the repercussions from that disaster they are making progress.

According to Public Works Accountant Sarah Belden, in a report to the Mower County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday during their meeting, the first of three projects has been submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Belden said that $11,461 has been incurred from emergency protective measures which related to the day of the storms related to things such as security, signs and more. That money along with money spent by the county toward debris removal and roads and bridges, which will be submitted at a later date, is 100% reimbursable as part of the disaster declaration that the county was included in on June 28.

“All of our labor, materials, equipment costs, we will get paid back,” Belden said. 

The board unanimously approved Tuesday to accept those reimbursed funds.

Seventy-five percent of that money — $8,596.14 — will be repaid by FEMA and 25%, or $2,865.38, will be repaid by Homeland Security and Emergency Management Minnesota, the state equivalent of FEMA.

As part of Tuesday’s report, it was also related the following progress as of Nov. 19 from the recovery process, which includes 250 total sites:

• 142 debris sites (91.5% complete)
• 28 road surfaces (96.4% complete)
• 10 shouldering (78.9% complete)
• 58 culverts (31% complete)
• 3 bridges (66.66% complete)

Belden added that numbers need to be submitted by Dec. 17, but due to the colder months slowing projects down, the county will ask for a six-month extension, which Belden said they would get and requires only that the paperwork be submitted.