Additional SD Counties approved for winter storm FEMA assistance

PIERRE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The South Dakota Department of Public Safety has announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved additional assistance for three South Dakota counties for the winter storms in December 2022.

Ziebach County has been approved for funding under FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, while Jackson and Oglala Lakota counties have been approved for snow removal assistance in addition to their prior approval for the Public Assistance Program. Snow Removal assistance funding allows for local jurisdictions to be reimbursed for costs for a 48-hour period of snow removal activities.

South Dakota received a Presidential Disaster Declaration that allowes FEMA to help South Dakota local governments recover from infrastructure damage sustained as a result of the severe winter storm.

In February 2023, Gov. Noem signed Executive Order 2023-03, which declared a disaster in the impacted counties.

To date, the Public Assistance Program has been approved for Bennett, Brookings, Clark, Day, Deuel, Hamlin, Jackson, Jones, Kingsbury, Mellette, Oglala Lakota, Potter, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, and Ziebach counties.

The State Office of Emergency Management, within the Department of Public Safety, is working with FEMA on the disaster declaration.