FEMA to provide federal aid to homeowners in South Dakota

(Image Source: MGN)
(Image Source: MGN)(KALB)
Published: Jun. 11, 2019 at 6:45 PM CDT
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President Trump approved a disaster declaration for South Dakota on Saturday and that means F.E.M.A. will now be ramping up its efforts here.

To start with, they will document damage to public and individual properties.

Minnehaha county has qualified for individual assistance which opens the door for financial help.

Within the next week a disaster recovery center will open here in Sioux Falls; F.E.M.A. isn't sure on the location just yet.

People may go there and work with assistance program directors and determine which type of assistance will benefit them the most.

"There's different programs under that, there's housing assistance up to three months if you were displaced because your home was unlivable, there are grants for home repairs, and replacement of some essential house hold items that isn't covered by insurance," Sioux Falls Emergency Manager, Regan Smith, said.

This federal assistance program won't be able to replace everything that people may have lost, but it will help return life to some semblance of normalcy by returning people's homes to a livable condition.

The funding will help repair essential living areas.

This federal component falls into place as the city works to buy out homes in certain flood prone areas of the city.

Federal funding will be available to affected individuals in Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Hutchinson, Minnehaha, and Yankton counties; the Pine Ridge Reservation to include Oglala Lakota, Jackson, and Bennett counties; the Rosebud Reservation to include Mellette and Todd counties; and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation to include Dewey and Ziebach counties.

Registration is already open for citizens to apply for assistance.

You can apply by calling 1-800-621-3362 or you can apply online.