Dayton tours flood zone, says special session could provide aid

Gov. Mark Dayton toured flood-damaged areas of rural northeastern Minnesota on Tuesday.

Stops included Sturgeon Lake, Willow River, Rutledge, Barnum and Moose Lake.

"It's just devastating and it's just hard to see the pain in people's faces, and people who've lost much, if not all, of what they have worked to build up, wondering what's going to happen and what help is available," Dayton said. "We don't have those answers yet. But we're here and promise that we're going to keep coming back and be involved until we can get a lot of this resolved."

The governor expects there to be a special legislative session in the near future to provide relief to flooded communities. He said there may be some immediate state resources available to help rebuild damaged roads. A bipartisan group of state legislative leaders is scheduled to meet with Duluth City officials, St. Louis County officials and neighboring community leaders on Wednesday.

Barnum Mayor Jason Goodwin told the governor his community's biggest problem is that no one has flood insurance. Goodwin says his town needs help, but residents are also determined to do what they can on their own.

"We're not the only community, so there's not enough attention to go around. We've got to pull up our pants and take care of ourselves. That's just how it is these days," Goodwin said. "You can look for handouts and look for help, but the bottom line is: you've got to take care of yourself. We live in a small community, and let's get out the hammer and nails and get it back up and running."

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