The government says homeowners in South Dakota impacted by June’s severe weather don’t qualify for federal assistance. FEMA officials say the storms didn’t cause enough damage for individuals to receive emergency aid.
More than one dozen tornadoes spawned in Jerauld County in June; one of those hit Wessington Springs, destroying and damaging homes and businesses.
People in Lincoln and Union counties experienced flash flooding that inundated houses.
Kristi Turman is the director of South Dakota’s Office of Emergency Management. She says, among the three counties, 70 homes were destroyed or substantially damaged.
"That’s just one of the factors that FEMA looks at is the numbers. They look at the trauma to the community. They look at the number of deaths. They look at the number of past disasters for these communities," Turman says.
Considering all facets, a FEMA administrator says damage from those storms falls short of the severity and magnitude to warrant federal assistance. Turman says the news is disappointing but the denial won’t stop recovery efforts.
FEMA officials are in South Dakota next week to assess damage to public infrastructure, so the state could still receive federal money to help repair roads, bridges and utilities.
