22 Counties Part Of Disaster Declaration

Twenty-two counties and three Indian reservations have received a Presidential Disaster Declaration for assistance in repairing public infrastructure from severe storms and flooding earlier this month. 

State and local governments in the 22 counties can receive up 75% of the funds needed to repair or replace damaged roads, bridges and sewer systems.

Counties included in the public assistance disaster declaration are: Aurora, Beadle, Brown, Brule, Bon Homme, Buffalo, Clark, Day, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Marshall, McCook, Miner, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Tripp and Yankton counties, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Crow Creek Indian Reservation, and those portions of the Sisseton Wahpeton Indian Oyate that lie within the designated counties.

“With this latest public assistance declaration, state and local governments in the 22 counties are eligible for federal funding that will cover up to 75% of the eligible costs to repair or replace infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and sewer systems. The state will cover the other 25-percent of the eligible cost,” said Governor Rounds, “The quick federal response to this second declaration is very welcome.”

A preliminary damage report by the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management, FEMA, and local officials found more than $5 million in estimated damage as a result of the storms.

“Public Assistance teams will soon be going out to the declared counties to work with local applicants assessing and documenting the damage,” said Justin Dombrowski, federal coordinating officer for the disaster.

On Tuesday, ten counties received a disaster declaration for individual assistance to help families and business owners hardest hit by the storms.