SD Office of Emergency Management Requests Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment with FEMA

PIERRE, SD – The South Dakota Department of Public Safety’s Office of Emergency Management has officially requested a joint preliminary damage assessment (PDA) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This assessment aims to verify the extent of damages to public infrastructure and individual households following widespread flooding in southeast South Dakota.

The assessment will cover up to 30 counties and is scheduled to take place beginning the week of July 15. The results will be crucial in determining the need for a Presidential disaster declaration through FEMA. Local governments and individuals affected by the flooding have until July 12 to submit their damage reports.

Governor Noem emphasized the importance of the declaration, stating, “The recent flooding has devastated families and communities. We will quickly assess the full extent of the damage to secure the FEMA assistance that our people need to rebuild. The state began providing assistance at the very beginning of this crisis, and we previously issued an emergency declaration to get the FEMA process started.”

Individuals are encouraged to submit their damage information by July 12 using the online form available at sd.gov. Simply enter the site and click the link at the top of the page.

The Office of Emergency Management is an agency of the Department of Public Safety.

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