Disaster Aid for June Storms in South Dakota Tops $3.4 Million

PIERRE, SD – The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management (SDOEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that more than $3.4 million in disaster aid has been approved to help communities in twelve counties and three tribal nations in South Dakota recover from a series of June storms.  Those storms caused a swath of damage that stretched from southwest South Dakota through the center of the state.

According to South Dakota Director of Emergency Management Tina Titze, 26 applicants including the City of Pierre, West Central Electric Cooperative, and the Crow Creek, Lower Brule and Oglala Sioux tribal governments are receiving reimbursements for disaster costs and debris cleanup.  Federal Coordinating Officer Gary Stanley added, “Under the presidential disaster declaration FEMA reimburses applicants for not less than 75 percent of eligible recovery costs and the state of South Dakota contributes an additional 10 percent cost share.”

On July 30, 2015 President Obama issued a major disaster declaration for the state making Brule, Buffalo, Fall River, Haakon, Hughes, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Lyman, McCook, Oglala Lakota and Stanley counties  as well as the Crow Creek Sioux, Lower Brule Sioux  and Oglala Sioux tribal nations eligible for federal disaster aid.  The presidential declaration came in response to a request from Governor Dennis Daugaard following the June storms. 

FEMA’s 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. 

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Disaster Aid for June Storms in South Dakota Tops $3.4 Million

America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action Set for Thursday

DENVER – Thursday, April 30, is America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action, a grassroots campaign for action to get families, organizations and whole communities better prepared for emergencies. The campaign offers easy-to-use preparedness guides, checklists, and resources to help individuals prepare for common natural hazards and to take action, including downloading alerts and warnings, holding a drill, or safeguarding critical documents.

Despite the devastation that tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural disasters have caused in recent years, nearly 60 percent of surveyed Americans have not participated in a preparedness drill or exercise at their workplace, school, or home in the past year. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Denver-based regional office joins the states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming in encouraging the whole community to participate in the America’s PrepareAthon! campaign by performing one of these simple preparedness actions:

  1. Sign up for local text alerts and warnings and download weather apps to your smartphone.
    Stay aware of worsening weather conditions. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Know Your Alerts and Warnings to learn how to search for local alerts and weather apps relevant for hazards that affect your area.
  2. Gather important documents and keep them in a safe place.
    Have all of your personal, medical, and legal papers in one place, so you can evacuate without worrying about gathering your family’s critical documents at the last minute. Visit ready.gov/prepare and download Be Smart: Protect Your Critical Documents and Valuables for a helpful checklist.
  3. Create an emergency supply kit.
    Bad weather can become dangerous very quickly. Be prepared by creating an emergency supply kit for each member of your family. Visit ready.gov/kit for information on what to include in your kit.
  4. Develop an emergency communication plan for your family.
    It’s possible that your family will be in different locations when a disaster strikes. Come up with a plan so everyone knows how to reach each other and get back together if separated. Visit ready.gov/make-a-plan for communication plan resources.

Every state in FEMA Region VIII has shown support for America’s PrepareAthon! this spring by aligning a variety of preparedness activities with the campaign. The National Weather Service in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming held statewide tornado drills to prepare residents for severe spring and summer weather; nearly one million Utahns participated in earthquake drills during the Great Utah ShakeOut; and communities throughout Colorado and Montana will hold wildfire preparedness events on May 2 for Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, an America’s PrepareAthon! partner event.

For more information about America’s PrepareAthon!, visit ready.gov/prepare. Follow America’s PrepareAthon! on Twitter using the handle @Prepareathon and #PrepareAthon.

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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.

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America’s PrepareAthon! National Day of Action Set for Thursday

Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline is Approaching – Aid may be available to producers who sustained losses in October Storm

RAPID CITY, S.D. –South Dakota workers, including ag producers, have less than two weeks left to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits. The deadline to apply for DUA is Wednesday, Dec. 18.

South Dakota workers who lost their jobs or whose income was affected by the severe winter storm, snow storm and flooding that occurred Oct. 3-16 can file a claim by calling the Unemployment Insurance Call Center at 605-626-3179. DUA is available to those whose employment or income have been affected by the disaster but are not eligible for state unemployment benefits, including ranchers, farmers and the self-employed.

“Bottom line, if you are self-employed and lost income due to the October blizzard, I would encourage you to call 605-626-3179 to find out if you may be eligible for disaster unemployment benefits,” said Federal Coordinating Officer, Gary Stanley.

DUA is available for individuals who live or work in Butte, Corson, Custer, Dewey, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Shannon and Ziebach counties as well as the Cheyenne River Reservation and the Pine Ridge Reservation.

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.

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Disaster Unemployment Assistance Deadline is Approaching – Aid may be available to producers who sustained losses in October Storm

More Than $185 Million in FEMA Funds Have Assisted Souris Valley

MINOT, N.D. – In the two years since historic flooding struck the Souris Valley in North Dakota, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than $185 million in assistance to help the region recover. This is funding that has gone directly to residents or local communities to restore homes or damaged public infrastructure, as well as enact measures that will lessen the impact of future disasters. The agency also manages a program that provided temporary housing for more than 2,100 households, and is still assisting residents today.

   

North Dakota received a federal disaster declaration on May 10, 2011, for statewide flooding. The initial declaration provided funding for public infrastructure. As flooding intensified, the declaration was expanded on June 24, 2011, to provide assistance to individuals and businesses as well. A total of 44 of 53 North Dakota counties were included as well as four tribal nations. FEMA continues to maintain a presence in the Souris Valley, with approximately 50 personnel still in the region, with additional support coming from the regional office in Denver.

   

FEMA received 8,256 applications for assistance from residents of the Souris Valley, representing about 80 percent of the 10,286 total for the state. Similarly, the $91.2 million distributed to residents for rental assistance, home repairs and other serious disaster-related needs represents 95 percent of the total $95.8 million for the state.

   

In addition, FEMA brought in nearly 2,200 manufactured housing units to provide housing for those displaced by the flood. More than 1,100 of those were place on private properties, allowing homeowners to stay near their damaged dwellings to make repairs. Units also were placed at five manufactured housing parks in Ward County. Three temporary housing sites were also constructed, including the 600unit Virgil Workman Village – which is the only one remaining in operation – still housing approximately 200 households.

   

Of the nearly $242 million approved statewide for infrastructure assistance following the 2011 floods, nearly $90 million was provided to the four Souris Valley counties (Ward, Renville, McHenry and Bottineau). Among the larger recipients of assistance were: the city of Minot – $8.6 million; the city of Burlington – $1.6 million, the Minot Park District – $3 million and Ward County (including townships) – $10.3 million.

 

The largest beneficiary of public assistance funds is the Minot Public Schools. FEMA is providing $24.5 million to replace Erik Ramstad Middle School and $5 million to replace Lincoln Elementary School. FEMA also has provided an additional $25 million for activities ranging from emergency protective measures to building repairs at other locations to temporary classrooms to replace offline facilities. The temporary classrooms were provided within 10 days of the planned starting date for the 2011-12 school year and are still in use.

   

Thus far, more than $4 million in funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) has been provided to the Souris Valley. Funding has been provided for generators, home acquisitions, mitigation planning, and engineering, permitting, and design work for a floodwall to protect the Minot Water Treatment Plant. HMGP provides funding for projects that seek to minimize the impact of future disasters, and is administered by the state. More than $70 million was provided by FEMA to North Dakota for projects statewide, with additional projects still under consideration.

FEMA also engaged its Long Term Community Recovery team in Ward County. Members of the public participated in a series of meetings to voice their views about the future of their communities. The information gathered at the meetings was used to develop the “Souris Basin Regional Recovery Strategy,” which was adopted by Ward County and the cities of Burlington and Minot.

   

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More Than $185 Million in FEMA Funds Have Assisted Souris Valley

Federal Aid Programs for the State of South Dakota Declaration

Federal Aid Programs for the State of South Dakota Declaration

Main Content

Release date:

May 10, 2013

Release Number:

HQ-13-045Factsheet

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama’s disaster declaration issued for the State of South Dakota.

Assistance for the State, Tribal and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for removing debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health.  Emergency protective measures assistance is available to state, tribal and eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not less than 75 percent for snow assistance, for a specific period of time during or proximate to the incident period.  Snow Assistance may include snow removal, de-icing, salting, snow dumps, and sanding of roads.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)
  • Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters.  (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

  • Application procedures for state, tribal and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and  first responders and 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.

Stay informed of FEMA’s activities online: videos and podcasts available at www.fema.gov/medialibrary and www.youtube.com/fema ; follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fema  and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fema.

Related Links:

President Declares Disaster for South Dakota

Last Updated:

May 10, 2013 – 17:48

State/Tribal Government or Region:

South Dakota

and

Region VIII

Related Disaster:

South Dakota Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm

Original article: 

Federal Aid Programs for the State of South Dakota Declaration

Fact Sheet: Federal Agency Assistance to the Souris Valley

Fact Sheet: Federal Agency Assistance to the Souris Valley 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-AFS003

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

FEDERAL AGENCY ASSISTANCE OVERVIEW

Immediately following the June 2011 flooding in the Souris River Basin, federal agencies, under mission assignments from FEMA, responded to public health and safety needs throughout Ward County. Federal life-saving and life-sustaining personnel worked under the direction, and at the request of, state and local leadership. Below is a summary of the federal actions funded by FEMA and the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services to ensure communities and people in the area were protected from further harm and could begin their recovery.

In all, FEMA directed 28 federal response assignments at a cost of more than $60 million dollars to FEMA and almost $7 million to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

In addition, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program paid out on 488 claims for a total of $59,331,403.36 in McHenry, Reville and Ward counties.

Department of Health and Human Services

Members of Applied Public Health Teams from the Department of Health and Human Services integrated with local fire department, local health agencies, and structural engineers/building inspectors to assist with public health consultations and inspection of homes for reoccupation.

The teams visited approximately 4,600 homes damaged by the flood, meeting with residents as they returned home and providing environmental health consultations and technical assistance. They distributed post-flood information packets from the North Dakota Department of Health, and gave information on general clean-up activities, pumping out flooded basements, mold issues, household hazardous waste disposal, disinfection, asbestos, the safe use of electrical generators and personal health precautions. They also went door-to-door with structural engineers and building inspectors to assess health concerns such as contamination from wastewater, extent of mold coverage, asbestos, and other hazardous material risks. This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $100,000, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA was given four missions by FEMA: remove household hazardous wastes from the impacted area; decontaminate and prepare white goods and electronic waste for recycling; collect and process orphaned containers; and conduct environmental monitoring and sampling in impacted and work areas.

In total, EPA removed:

  • Nearly 6,000 units of white goods – air conditioners, refrigerators, and other household appliances. Freon, mercury, and other hazardous materials were removed by EPA and the scrap was turned over to the city of Minot for recycling.
  • More than 90,000 small containers, including paint, household cleaners, and small gas cans holding more than 15,000 gallons of gas which was sent to a fuel processor.
  • Several large containers, including propane tanks as large as 3,000 – 5,000 gallons, which were returned to their owners or sent to a Minot company for reuse.
  • 215 lead-acid batteries which were turned over to the city of Minot.
  • More than 550 cubic yards of electronic waste such as household electronics, computers, and television sets which were sent to a contractor for recycling.

In addition, EPA collected asbestos insulation from more than 220 households, conducted air sampling during cleanup activities, and conducted soil sampling in city parks once flooding subsided. This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $5.2 million, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

General Services Administration

GSA was given the mission to search for space, facilities and land to support FEMA. GSA also provided approximately 20 GSA fleet vehicles in support of the mission.

Its real estate team arranged the following leases:

  • The Joint Field Office in Bismarck.
  • The Area Field Office in Minot located at the State Fairgrounds.
  • Two land leases at the State Fairgrounds in Minot for FEMA trailer staging.
  • A land lease in Minot for a FEMA trailer park supporting flooding victims (still in operation).
  • A temporary space lease at the State Fairgrounds (while FEMA was preparing its Area Field Office for occupancy).
  • A space lease at the former “Y” building in downtown Minot for Housing Management Office Recovery (still in operation).
  • A space lease at the Medical Building in Minot for ESF-14 operations (lease ends July 15, 2012).
  • A space lease for a Disaster Recovery Center at the Dakota Mall in Minot.

There were many other spaces, buildings and lands that were donated by owners such as the city of Minot or the state of North Dakota which were used for the FEMA mission, including land for the base camp in Minot and land in Velva for other FEMA operations. FEMA paid GSA $84,000 for its services.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

  • OSHA evaluated and ensured the safety of response personnel and civilians by providing air sampling and site inspections, and giving seminars on hazard awareness.
  • OSHA also helped the Vermiculite Asbestos Work Group develop public service announcements (vermiculite is a common insulation which often is contaminated with asbestos) and inspected the responders base camp.
  • This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $94,000, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

Public Safety and Security

Approximately 135 federal law enforcement officers from four different agencies were deployed to support local police and sheriff’s departments. They protected lives and property in the evacuated areas, maintained points of entry/exit in neighborhoods, did traffic control, patrolled and did other law enforcement duties as assigned. Safety officers came from the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Interior, and were coordinated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. One officer from Customs and Border Patrol was injured responding to a law enforcement request and remains in physical therapy. Local guards were hired by Federal Protective Services to provide security at FEMA facilities. This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $3.6 million, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

  • The Corps, at the request of the city of Minot, began funding and building temporary levees in the area on their own authority in April. They continued doing so with 16 levee contracts while the river crested multiple times through June. The temporary leveeconstruction cost the Corps approximately $5 million for Minot alone, another $1 million for Sawyer, $600,000 for Burlington and $500,000 for Velva. The final crest, which overwhelmed the protection system, was almost three times the amount of water of the next highest crest.
  • Emphasis was put on the city’s priorities:
    • protecting the water treatment plant
    • protecting three schools
    • protecting 17 lift/pump stations
    • protecting, maintaining and raising the 3rd St. /4th Ave. levee
    • keeping the Broadway Bridge open
  • Current estimates are that ongoing repairs to the permanent levees and the pump stations, plus the scour at Velva, will cost more than $5 million, again funded by the Corps of Engineers.
  • After the floods, the Corps and its contractors were given the debris removal mission by FEMA. They removed more than 61,000 tons of debris within Ward County, including 54,000 tons from Minot. This included removing the temporary levees. This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $17 million, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
  • The Corps designed and built the infrastructure at community group sites, totaling 848 pads at three primary locations. This mission was assigned by FEMA and cost $40 million, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
  • More than 150 Corps of Engineers personnel were deployed for flood fighting and flood recovery operations.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The Fish and Wildlife Service did airboat missions and patrols on both the Red River and the Minot area. They were assigned that mission by FEMA, at a total cost of $100,000, with 10 percent paid by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:02:14

Link: 

Fact Sheet: Federal Agency Assistance to the Souris Valley

Fact Sheet: FEMA Individual Assistance in the Souris Valley

Fact Sheet: FEMA Individual Assistance in the Souris Valley 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-AFS002

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Individual Assistance Programs

  • Residents of nine North Dakota counties and one reservation were able to register for individual assistance with FEMA;
  • Statewide 10,286 individuals or households registered for assistance in the IA designated counties;
  • In total, more than $95 million has been provided; $93.4 million for rental assistance or home repair, and $2.1 million in other needs assistance;
    • In the three Souris Valley counties (McHenry, Renville and Ward), there were 8,256 applications, with $89 million for rental assistance or home repair and $2 million for other needs assistance for a total of $91 million;
  • The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved $256.4 million in low-interest loans. $212.9 million was approved for individuals and $43.5 million for businesses;
    • In the Souris Valley, SBA approved $240.9 million in low-interest loans. $198.1 million was approved for individuals and $42.8 million for businesses;
  • Disaster Recovery Centers were in 11 communities and received 14,921 separate visits from applicants while in operation
    • DRCs were located in six Souris Valley area communities and received 12,477 visits;
  • SBA Business Recovery Centers in Minot and Bismarck received a total of 2,929 visits;
  • The Disaster Unemployment Assistance program, managed by Job Service North Dakota and funded by FEMA, provided $2.4 million in benefits.
  • $3.3 million was provided to fund crisis counseling grants ;
  • The transitional sheltering assistance program ended 12/26/2011 at a total cost of $3,196,962.94. This program allowed displaced residents to stay in hotel rooms until more permanent housing became available.

Direct Housing Mission

  • Due to housing shortages because of the economic boom, a direct housing mission was initiated:
    • Group housing site construction totaling $40 million is ongoing by USACE.
    • More than 2000 Temporary Housing Units (THUs) delivered and installed.
  • There are currently 1,471 occupied THUs.
    • DeSour Valley Heights – located in Burlington, this 50-unit site was filled in October. The park is currently housing 44 households.
    • Virgil Workman Village – located just east of Minot, this is comprised of three parks containing 200 homes each. It is currently housing a combined total of 532 households.
    • Recovery Village – located on the northeast edge of Minot, this was the final group site to come online. The site did support nearly 200 homes and is currently housing 47 households.
    • Private Sites – FEMA placed housing units at 1,118 private sites allowing residents to be closer to their damaged homes while making needed repairs. There are currently 635 THU’s still on private sites.
    • Commercial Sites – FEMA leased space and is currently housing 213 households at the following commercial sites: Holiday Village, Gulli’s, Burlington, Jefferson and Gold Nugget.
  • Multiple weather/climate challenges were overcome by completing $13 million in winterization processes, such as: foam insulation, use of heat tape and arctic room shelter construction.
  • The housing mission in Minot is expected to last at least 18 months.

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:02:01

Credit:

Fact Sheet: FEMA Individual Assistance in the Souris Valley

Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley

Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley 

Release Date: June 11, 2012
Release Number: 1981-AFS001

» More Information on North Dakota Flooding

» 2012 Region VIII News Releases

Overview

  • Of the nearly $235M in funding for 2011 flooding statewide, more than 80 million has been obligated in the Souris Valley.
  • Among the larger applicants are:
    • Ward County $9.8 M
    • City of Minot $7.2 M
    • City of Burlington $1.6 M
    • Minot Public Schools $46.7 M (more than 20% disaster total statewide)
    • North Dakota State Fair $4 M
    • Minot Park District $2.5M
    • Additionally, $1.9 million has been provided in Bottineau County, $5.5 million in McHenry County and $1.2 million in Renville County.
  • Established three task forces to address high priority projects involving schools, critical facilities and debris removal.

Schools

  • Both Erik Ramstad and Lincoln schools were deemed eligible for replacement based on 50% repair justification; $25M Federal Share replacement funds for Ramstad and $5M for Lincoln.
  • Provided more than $8.4M to the schools for activities ranging from emergency protective measures to building repairs and temporary classrooms.
  • Approved and funded installation of temporary school facilities allowing classes to start within 10 days of the scheduled start date. This was accomplished through proactive evaluations and rapid resolution of environmental concerns in advance of applicant identified requirements.

Emergency Work

  • Removed over 69,000 tons of debris totaling over $2.6M through mission assignment to USACE.
  • Debris removal missions allowed for the accomplishment of private site housing of over 1,000 eligible applicants; 100% of eligible applicants housed before Christmas 2011.
  • Funded safety inspections of over 4,000 Minot buildings (including private residences).
  • Mission assigned OSHA to provide partnerships in mishap prevention and eliminating the need for compliance and enforcement inspections.
  • Mission assigned EPA to remove over 6,000 units of white goods, 80,000 small containers of HAZMAT, 15,000 gallons of gasoline, 215 lead-acid batteries and over 550 cubic yards of electronic waste (most of which was recycled).

Statewide

  • To date, 4438 projects have been obligated, with nearly $235 million in federal cost-share funds provided to the state of North Dakota.
  • To date more than $9 million in federal cost-share funds have been provided to state agencies for 2011 disaster response activities, including:
    • North Dakota National Guard $5 M
    • ND Dept. of Transportation $2.2 M
    • ND Dept. of Emergency Services $1.1 M

Last Modified: Monday, 11-Jun-2012 10:01:48

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Fact Sheet: FEMA Public Assistance in the Souris Valley