SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — President Joe Biden issues a Presidential Disaster Declaration for a big chunk of the KELO Radio listening area. Governor Krisit Noem sent an official letter to the President earlier this month, due to the string of sever weather South Dakota recently experienced. In that letter, the Governor wrote that the storm resulted in two deaths, a preliminary number of 14 reported tornadoes, and wind gusts of more than 100 miles per hour. The President issued the declaration because of tornadoes, strong straight-line winds, and flooding on May 12th.
The declaration means that local governments and the state can now receive public infrastructure assistance from the federal government. The total amount of funding depends on the type of Disaster Declaration the President approved. According to FEMA, there are two types. The Emergency Disaster Declaration has an initial cap of five million dollars. The second is the Major Disaster Declaration, which allows access to a wider array of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure. The S.D. Office of Emergency Management will assist FEMA staff in coordinating the assistance.
If you’d like to know more about the Disaster Declaration process, click here.
