News Releases for May 2004
May 5, 2004
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Hoeven Announces Presidential Disaster Declaration For 10 Counties, One Reservation
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today received notification that President Bush has approved North Dakota’s request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration. The declaration designates ten North Dakota counties and one Indian reservation as meeting federal requirements to obtain federal funds for recovery from damages incurred during flooding that began on March 26.
Counties and tribal lands included in the Presidential Disaster Declaration are: Benson, Cavalier, Grand Forks, Griggs, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Steele, Traill, Walsh and the Spirit Lake Nation. The disaster declaration will open access to the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant and Public Assistance programs and will provide local governments federal grants to cover 75 percent of the public property damages. State and local governments must absorb the remaining 25 percent.
“This welcome declaration will help local and tribal communities with expenses for repairs to vital public infrastructure and economies, such as roads, bridges and drainage facilities,” Hoeven said. “The North Dakota Division of Emergency Management stands ready to provide state management of the various programs and grants that will now help communities recover.”
The Presidential Disaster Declaration is based on preliminary damage assessments (PDA) compiled by joint local, state and federal PDA teams, which showed losses of nearly $4 million to public infrastructure.
Northeastern counties of North Dakota and the Spirit Lake Nation were experiencing winter-like conditions with frozen ground, frost cover and snow pack when an abnormal amount of rainfall, two to five times above normal monthly levels, created a disproportionately high runoff. Those conditions caused instant overland flooding during the weekend of March 26-28. Additionally, abnormally high runoff in a snow-compacted Devils Lake Basin may result in record level flooding this spring.
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