(Washington, D-C) -- At long last, there's a presidential flood declaration for 21 counties which bore the brunt of fall flooding in Minnesota. Approval by the U-S Department of Homeland Security means federal funding will be available for emergency repairs throughout much of southern Minnesota. There's no word on when there will be a special session at the Capitol but state lawmakers and Governor Pawlenty have been working on a flood-relief bill that will be passed. For every three dollars of federal support, the state must provide one dollar of matching money. The affected counties include: Blue Earth, Cottonwood, Dodge, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Mower, Murray, Olmsted, Pipestone, Rice, Rock, Steele, Wabasha, Waseca, Watonwan and Winona.
