Hoeven: Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved for Spring Flooding

Press Release

Governor John Hoeven today announced that President Obama has approved his request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration and has declared a federal disaster for 22 North Dakota counties and one Indian reservation in response to spring flooding across North Dakota.

The declaration approved today will provide federal resources and financial assistance to help local and tribal jurisdictions recover costs associated with severe spring flooding and ground saturation. Hoeven requested the declaration on April 14 in response to damages caused by spring runoff and snow. Excessive precipitation, which occurred throughout the fall and winter season, caused damages in many parts of the state.

These conditions were compounded by high water equivalent in the winter snowpack; full sloughs, ponds, and wetlands that result in no available surface water storage; ice jams through the spring snowmelt period; and record water levels in Devils Lake and Stump Lake that continue to rise. The Governor requested that the incident period begin on February 26, 2010, and continuing.

The Declaration will cover 75 percent of the eligible costs resulting from spring flooding, with local entities covering 15 percent and the state covering 10 percent of those costs.

The qualifying counties and tribal jurisdiction include: Barnes, Benson, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, LaMoure, Logan, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Traill, Walsh and Wells and those portions of the Spirit Lake Tribal Reservation which lie within the requested counties.

Source