Cleanup from the mid-March bomb cyclone that hit South Dakota and much of the Upper Midwest hadn’t finished when another similar system hit the same area this week.
Gov. Kristi Noem says damage from both storms will be combined in the state’s request for a federal disaster declaration.
Most state government offices in South Dakota were closed for two or three days this week, but employees who didn’t have to work will still be paid.
There were a few calls for various kinds of help needed, but Noem says so far no deaths have been attributed to this storm.
Gov. Noem declared an emergency in March, opening funding avenues for the state and giving her the option to request a Presidential Disaster Declaration so the state can ask for federal funds to aid recovery efforts.
This is a longer process that requires coordination from local, state and federal leaders. Per FEMA’s process, the state has 30 days after the end of an incident to submit a declaration request. Because of the moving water that accompanied the bomb cyclone, the incident is ongoing and has been extended. Flood waters are anticipated to crest in various locations in the weeks to come.
(Dakota Radio News)