WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has granted North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong’s request for a presidential major disaster declaration for damage from severe storms on June 20-21.
This will help give federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the costs of repairs to public infrastructure and recovery efforts in the following counties:
- Barnes
- Burleigh
- Cass
- Eddy
- Emmons
- Foster
- Grant
- Griggs
- Kidder
- McLean
- Morton
- Oliver
- Ransom
- Sheridan
- Sioux
- Steele
- Stutsman
Traill - Wells
“This much-needed disaster aid will help our state’s communities and utilities recover from one of the most powerful summer storms in recent history,” Armstrong said. “North Dakota deeply appreciates President Trump and FEMA for approving our request, just as we can never say thank you enough to our local citizens, volunteers, first responders, utility providers and emergency managers who worked tirelessly to restore services and help their neighbors and communities recover from these severe storms.”
The storms produced 20 tornadoes killing three people in Enderlin and one person in the Courtenay area.
State officials have said they also caused more than $11 million in damage to public infrastructure and to utilities, grain bins, homes and other private property. The presidential declaration today covers all 19 counties requested: Barnes, Burleigh, Cass, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Ransom, Sheridan, Sioux, Steele, Stutsman, Traill and Wells.
A separate request for a presidential major disaster declaration for severe storms Aug. 7-8 was submitted last week and is still pending. Those storms brought damaging winds, large hail and several tornadoes, costing more than $6 million, mostly from damage to electrical infrastructure. It covers Barnes, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Nelson, Steele and Stutsman counties.
An Associated Press report has found several states, including North Dakota, have waited a month or more on average for President Trump to approve federal disaster declaration requests.
Flag Family News reached out to Governor Armstrong Sept. 9 about the AP analysis, and if there’s any frustration related to the wait.
“If an additional week or two to review requests means more prudent use of federal dollars, he can live with that,” communications director Mike Nowatzki responded in a written statement.
Click here for more information about storm recovery, including the Grain Storage & Facility Rebuilder Program created in response to the June storms.
