Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved for Flood Area

Press Release

Gov. Mike Rounds announced today that 30 South Dakota counties will get federal financial assistance to help recover from widespread spring flooding.

The assistance is made available through a Presidential Disaster Declaration signed Thursday by President Obama.

Preliminary assessments showed the flooding caused an estimated $8 million in damage to roads, culverts, bridges and other public infrastructure in the affected counties.

"Flooding has caused widespread damage in the eastern half of South Dakota, and federal funds to help pay for the cost of repairing damage to roads and other public property will bring welcome relief," the Governor said. "We have provided $10 million for temporary repairs to emergency routes, but permanent repairs will take much longer and may not be possible in many instances until high waters recede."

Counties eligible for assistance are Aurora, Beadle, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Grant, Hamlin, Hanson, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Sully, Turner and Union.

A Presidential Disaster Declaration authorizes the federal government to provide relief and recovery assistance for up to 75 percent of the eligible damage to public infrastructure in affected areas.

Source