Tornado relief resources

Hotlines

• Red Cross Disaster Services 24-hour helpline: 612-871-7676.

• The city of Minneapolis non-emergency number: 311.

Pillsbury United Communities is providing social service referrals as part of the effort. Their phone number is: 612-377-7000.

Disaster Recovery Center

Service providers are scaling back services at the Disaster Recovery Center at Farview Park and are encouraging people to get help at the regular offices of community agencies instead.

Starting Wednesday, June 1, the Disaster Recovery Center will no longer be staffed by service providers. Farview Park employees will be on site from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to answer questions and direct people to other locations to access services. A free bus shuttle will stop at the park to transport people to community agencies.

Help for Businesses and Commercial Property Owners

Business owners and commercial property owners can get assistance at a new center opening Friday. The Northside Business and Property Owners Tornado Recovery Assistance Center is open for all Northside business and property owners including home-based businesses affected by Sunday's storm. Attendees will be connected with services and resources needed for recovery.

The center will open Friday, May 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It will be open again on Tuesday, May 31 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The center is located at the office of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network at: 1011 W. Broadway Ave. Suite 100.

After Tuesday, assistance will be available by appointment. For more information, call Erin Jerabek, of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, at 612-353-5178 or Sue Wollan Fan, of Catalyst Community Partners, at 612-877-4000.

The center is being organized by the Northside Economic Opportunity Network, Catalyst Development, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, West Broadway Coalition, Twin Cities Land Bank, Franklin National Bank, Community Planning and Economic Development, and North News.

Free Bus Shuttle Begins May 31

Those affected by the tornado can ride a free shuttle bus from Farview Park, the site of the Disaster Recovery Center, to providers throughout the city. The shuttle service will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, using Metro Transit buses. The buses will stop at 14 locations in north Minneapolis and downtown, including Farview and four other parks in north Minneapolis.

The shuttle will stop at: Hennepin County Medical Center, Shiloh Temple, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, Cub Foods, Fremont Clinic, Salvation Army, Sharing and Caring Hands, Hennepin County's Century Plaza building, and other agencies.

It will also stop at five parks: North Commons Park (1801 James Ave. N), Willard Park (17th Ave. N and Queen Ave. N), Folwell Park (1615 Dowling Ave. N), Jordan Park (2927 Irving Ave. N), Farview Park (621 29th Ave N.)

Emergency Aid Stations

The Red Cross plans to open two new emergency aid stations in north Minneapolis this week. The stations will be open June 1 through June 3 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The stations will be located at Willard Park (17th Ave. N and Queen Ave. N) and Jordan Park (2927 Irving Ave. N).

The Red Cross stations will provide food, water, and health services, including mental health services, along with information about disaster recovery.

Construction and Repair Permit Office

City officials are opening a new center to help homeowners and licensed contractors doing work in the tornado affected areas. The North Side Construction and Repair Permits Office, at Hamilton School at 4119 Dupont Ave. N., opens June 1. It will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The center will accept and review applications and issue permits for simple construction and repair-related projects. It will also provide assistance with temporary rental licenses and more detailed plan reviews. Staff from Minneapolis Development Review, Construction Code Services, Plan Review, Rental Licensing and Zoning will be at the center to provide assistance.

Help for Businesses and Commercial Property Owners

Business owners and commercial property owners can get assistance at the Northside Business and Property Owners Tornado Recovery Assistance Center. The center was open for drop-in hours, but starting Tuesday, May 31, assistance will be available by appointment only. Attendees will be connected with services and resources needed for recovery. The center is located at the office of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network at: 1011 W. Broadway Ave. Suite 100.

For more information, call Erin Jerabek, of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, at 612-353-5178 or Sue Wollan Fan, of Catalyst Community Partners, at 612-877-4000.

The center is being organized by the Northside Economic Opportunity Network, Catalyst Development, Metropolitan Economic Development Association, West Broadway Coalition, Twin Cities Land Bank, Franklin National Bank, Community Planning and Economic Development, and North News.

Food Assistance

You can apply for food assistance, commonly known as food stamps, at Century Plaza, 330 South 12th St. The Hennepin County building is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also apply for food assistance at many community-based agencies.

Several agencies in north Minneapolis are providing free food for those affected by the tornado. They include:

• Prayer Center, 821½ W. Broadway Ave, 612-522-3015 (call first)

• NorthPoint, 1315 Penn Ave. N., 612-543-2500, open 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

• Salvation Army, 2024 Lyndale Ave N., 612-522-6581, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• Salvation Army Mobile Truck, 2202 W. Broadway Ave.

Shelter

The Red Cross relocated the shelter for tornado-displaced families last week from the Northeast Armory to the North Commons Recreation Center. The center is at 1801 James Ave. N in Minneapolis.

The center also provides food, health services, resource referrals and long-term recovery planning. People at the shelter will have access to the computer lab and shower and locker room facilities at the recreation center. The center will be closed to the general public while being used as a temporary shelter. The center's outdoor athletics facilities remain open to the public.

For more information about the temporary shelter, call the Red Cross at 612-871-7676.

Medical Care

All area clinics have reopened after the storm. They include Fremont, Central, Sheridan, and North Memorial Camden clinic. Medical care is also available at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, 1313 Penn Ave. N., 612-543-2500.

Other Debris Removal

The North Transfer Station at 2710 Pacific Street is accepting debris from the storm. To use the station, residents of the affected areas need to obtain a voucher. To get a voucher, call 612-673-2917 or 311. The station is also accepting concrete, sheetrock, wood and shingles from residents of the following neighborhoods: Folwell, Hawthorne, Jordan, Lind-Bohanon, McKinley, Near North, Webber-Camden and Willard-Hay.

Tree Debris Removal

Before clearing trees and debris, make sure there are no downed power lines in the area. Residents can contact Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999 to report damaged power lines.

Tree debris pickup began Wednesday. City officials are asking residents to move tree debris to the curb for Public Works and Park Board crews to pick up. The crews will be picking up tree debris for free from May 25 to June 10 for properties affected by the tornado in area west of I-94 and north of Highway 55/Olson Memorial Highway.

If residents have large tree debris in backyards or alleys, they can call 311 to request an alley pick-up. Crews will try to respond, but they might not be able to access all sites.

For property owners outside of the defined area that also have tree debris from the storm, call 311 to request service. Crews will assess the request to see if it qualifies for the special pick-up.

Other Debris Removal

The North Transfer Station at 2710 Pacific Street is accepting debris from the storm. To use the station, residents of the affected areas need to obtain a voucher. To get a voucher, call 612-673-2917 or 311. The station is also accepting concrete, sheetrock, wood and shingles from residents of the following neighborhoods: Folwell, Hawthorne, Jordan, Lind-Bohanon, McKinley, Near North, Webber-Camden and Willard-Hay.

Asbestos

If you have concerns about asbestos in your building debris, contact the Minnesota Department of Health Asbestos Program at 651-201-4620 or email health.asbestos@state.mn.us.

Repairs

Make sure your tree service, building, and construction contractors are licensed. Call 311 or the Business License Division (612-673-2080) to confirm whether a contractor has an active license. Use the same numbers to file a complaint about a contractor. Or, you can look up licensing information for tree service contractors here and for building contractors here.

Resources for Homeowners

Several groups are providing assistance for homeowners who have questions about their insurance and what type of home repairs are needed. The city of Minneapolis is referring homeowners to three groups: Center for Energy and Environment (612-335-5884), Housing Resource Center North (612-588-3033), and Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis (612-521-3581).

Power Lines

Call Xcel Energy to report power outages or damaged power lines at 1-800-895-1999.

Natural Gas

Call the CenterPoint Energy emergency gas leak hotline at 1-800-296-9815 and 911 to report a gas leak. Do not attempt to adjust gas valves. CenterPoint will assist in interior house piping inspections and safe restoration of natural gas service for free.

Animals

If you were displaced by the storm and need help with housing your pets, contact Minneapolis Animal Care & Control by calling 311. If you have lost or found a pet, check out the Animal Humane Society online Lost and Found Bulletin Board. You can post photos and information about a pet you found, or you can search for your missing pet and get advice.