Dayton Directs State Disaster Aid to Dakota County

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Although the federal government said no, Dakota County will get disaster aid to help with severe storms and flooding earlier this year.

Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday directed Minnesota emergency management director Kris Eide to provide state aid to Dakota County under the State Public Disaster Assistance Fund.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency told Minnesota on Tuesday it had denied the state's appeal to add the southern metro county to a disaster declaration.

In its appeal, Minnesota included additional information about engineers who surveyed a slope failure FEMA declared ineligible in its initial assessment of Dakota County.

Dakota County is eligible for state disaster assistance under a new law. State disaster aid can be made available when a county has storm damage that does not meet federal aid thresholds.