By: Amy Dalrymple
President Donald Trump has approved a disaster declaration for North Dakota communities affected by August storms, but federal disaster aid is not expected to be released until the government reopens.
Aug. 7-8 storms with straight-line winds, large hail and multiple tornadoes caused about $6 million in damage, primarily to electrical infrastructure.
Trump’s disaster declaration will unlock federal disaster aid for Barnes, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Nelson, Steele and Stutsman counties.
“We appreciate President Trump and FEMA again granting our request and aiding our recovery from this summer’s extraordinary storms, which tested the capacity of our first responders, emergency managers, utility providers and citizens,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a statement.
Last month, Trump approved North Dakota’s request for federal aid for 19 counties damaged during June 20-21 storms.
However, the state has not yet received any disaster aid for the June storms. North Dakota officials continue working on reimbursement requests to submit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But the state will not be reimbursed for those costs during the government shutdown, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
