AERIAL VIEWS OF ST PAUL, MINNEAPOLIS SHOW EXTENT OF DESTRUCTION FROM RIOTS
On the streets of St. Paul and Minneapolis, there is block after block of charred buildings and windows that were boarded up for protection during rioting.
From an aerial view, the extent of the damage is even more apparent.
Minneapolis was harder hit than St. Paul with looting and arson after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. More than 1,050 properties were damaged — ranging from minor to destroyed, according to the city.
More than 240 properties sustained damage in St. Paul, according to information from the city Tuesday.
The work of St. Paul’s disaster assessment response team continues and the numbers are likely to rise as assessments continue, said Suzanne Donovan, St. Paul Department of Safety and Inspections spokeswoman.
“The city of St. Paul is working closely with our business community, and neighborhood and community leaders to support businesses and residents impacted by the civil unrest this past week, including mobilizing all available resources,” Donovan said. “We also continue to partner with the new Pay It Forward joint initiative, for which St. Paul’s business community has begun mobilizing a corps of volunteers to help small businesses access what they need to repair and rebuild.”
There has been an outpouring of community support — from cleaning up to raising money for businesses. Politicians have said they’ll seek federal aid for rebuilding, and state legislators said they’re putting together an economic relief package.