More than $3.6 Million in Disaster Aid Approved for June Storms

SIOUX FALLS, SD –  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that more than  $3.6 million in federal disaster aid has been approved to help communities in twelve counties and two tribal nations in South Dakota recover from a series of June storms.  Those storms produced a tornado that struck Wessington Springs along with heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in western, north central and southeast South Dakota.

According to FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Gary Stanley, “This figure represents only the first round of approved projects.  We hope to have all applicants’ projects reviewed and approved by mid-November.  While the final dollar total will change as we gather more information, it appears total Federal assistance will be greater than the $6.1 million originally estimated by the time all the projects are reviewed.” FEMA reimburses applicants not less than 75 percent of the cost of eligible projects and the State of South Dakota provides an additional ten percent cost share.

The disaster funds reimburse applicants for a variety of disaster recovery costs such as emergency work, removal of storm related debris, road and bridge repair and the restoration of electrical utilities.   To date 89 applicants including city, county and tribal governments, state agencies and some private non-profits are working with FEMA and the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management (SDOEM) to document their eligible disaster related costs. 

On July 28, 2014 President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the state making Butte, Clay, Corson, Dewey, Hanson, Jerauld, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Perkins, Turner, Union and Ziebach counties and the Cheyenne River Sioux and Standing Rock Sioux tribal nations eligible for federal disaster aid.  The presidential declaration came in response to a request from Governor Dennis Daugaard following a series of storms that hit the state in mid-June. 

The Public Assistance Program provides funding to local government jurisdictions and eligible private non-profits for the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged infrastructure as well as costs incurred for disaster cleanup or emergency actions taken to protect lives or property. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.