September 2 storm leads to declared state of local emergency

The Olmsted County Board of Commissioners declared a state of local emergency for the storm that affected the county on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, which knocked out power to thousands of customers and caused significant tree damage. The declaration may allow jurisdictions in the county to apply for assistance from the State of Minnesota for partial reimbursement for the costs of restoring power, managing debris, and other effects from the storm. 
 
The declaration comes from the commissioners and was made official on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The board issued the declaration based on damage estimates from City of Rochester and Olmsted County departments, and utility agencies that responded to the storm aftermath and recovery. 
 
Now that the declaration has been made, Olmsted County Emergency Management will request a Preliminary Damage Assessment from the state's Homeland Security and Emergency Management office. If that preliminary damage assessment meets the proper damage threshold, then a request for a state disaster declaration will go to the Governor's Office for approval. The city and county departments that incurred the cost of damage and recovery could then apply for 75% reimbursement from the state's Disaster Assistance Contingency Account. 

This declaration does not provide funding for private property owners and is limited to eligible public infrastructure damage.