Gov. Tim Walz requested aid from the federal government on Thursday to help rebuild and repair structures in Minneapolis and St. Paul that were damaged in unrest that followed George Floyd's killing.
Gov. Tim Walz requests federal aid to repair damage during unrest
The request to FEMA asks the president to declare a major disaster in Minnesota and send relief.
July 4, 2020 at 2:24AM
![Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter talked after the press conference. In the Lake Street parking lot with the burned out Foot locker store behind them, and next to the Midtown Global Market, State legislators who represent the most impacted areas from civil unrest announced the PROMISE Act -- a comprehensive plan to help businesses rebuild and recover, many of which are Black, immigrant, and communities of color-owned. ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com Monday](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/DUVRG6MKZNUU2CI7DKXHZONLIE.jpg?&w=712)
The request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asks President Donald Trump to declare a "major disaster" for the state of Minnesota. Federal funds would be used to reimburse local governments as they remove debris and begin repairs.
Days of unrest followed Floyd's May 25 killing in Minneapolis police custody, with more than 1,500 buildings damaged by fires, looting and vandalism.
The Walz administration said a preliminary damage assessment found more than $15 million of eligible damages directly related to fires, but the total cost of the damage was more than $500 million.
"The social and economic impacts of this incident will be felt for years if not decades," Walz wrote in a letter to FEMA.
That makes it the second most destructive incident of civil unrest in the nation, according to Walz, following the 1992 riots in Los Angeles.
Post offices, pharmacies, grocery stores and many small businesses were among the casualties. Walz said state finances are already stretched thin responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
