FEMA workers will join state and local teams for a preliminary assessment of damages to public property as a result of the severe winter storms, snowmelt, rains and subsequent flooding that occurred throughout South Dakota this winter and spring.
The Preliminary Damage Assessment process allows for these teams to determine the extent and severity of damages to public infrastructure in the 58 counties and seven tribal reservations impacted. Assessments start Monday (May 13) and are expected to continue throughout the week.
Central South Dakota counties and tribes where assessments will be done are: Brule, Campbell, Edmunds, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Potter, Sully, Walworth, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Gov. Kristi Noem says the information gathered during the PDA process will help determine whether federal assistance should be requested and will form the basis for any disaster declaration.
A preliminary damage assessment of individual property was done this week (May 6-10, 2019).
Public property damage is also being assessed in: Aurora, Beadle, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Fall River, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Hutchinson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Oglala Lakota, Pennington, Perkins, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton, Ziebach which also includes the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and the Yankton Sioux Tribe.
Eligible applicants include state, county and local governments as well as township and road districts; private non-profit organizations such as fire departments, rural electric cooperatives, libraries and community centers; and tribal governments within the areas being assessed.