Beadle and Kingsbury Counties have become eligible to receive federal disaster assistance funds to help pay for damage done by severe storms on June 21st. President Barack Obama approved a Presidential Disaster Declaration for not only Beadle and Kingsbury Counties but Grant, Deuel, Hamlin and Hughes counties as well. Damage assessments show more than one point seven million dollars in damages from the storms to public and private non-profit property. The costs include debris removal and repairs to roads, bridges, culverts and power lines. Damage in Beadle County alone is estimated at approximately 253 to 270-thousand dollars. Damage in Beadle County included downed power lines from Northwestern and Dakota Energy, and damage to the South Dakota State Fairgrounds. Some of the money may be used to reimburse the city of Huron for tree removal efforts in the wake of 87 mile an hour winds that blasted through Huron in the afternoon on June 21st. The disaster declaration will allow the federal government to provide recovery assistance up to 75-percent of eligible costs. President Obama approved the disaster request on Friday.
