South Dakota has received a Presidential Disaster Declaration that allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help local governments in designated counties repair damages caused by flooding this past spring (2023). Counties included in the designation are Faulk, Hand, Potter, Brown, Clark, Codington, Day, Grant, Marshall and Roberts. The Lake Traverse Indian Reservation is also included.
Above normal seasonal snowfall and unusually cold late spring conditions resulted in a persistent and unusually deep snowpack into early April. In the second week of April temperatures became abnormally warm, surging to the 70s and 80s. This resulted in a period of very rapid snowmelt and both river and overland flooding. As a result of the flooding, many roads were not suitable for travel. The ten counties and one reservation suffered severe impacts to public infrastructure.
On June 2, 2023, Governor Kristi Noem signed an executive order 2023-08 declaring a disaster in the impacted counties. An estimated $2.3 million ($2,305,362) in qualifying costs were incurred during the flooding in those areas.
Federal resources will help with recovery from infrastructure damage sustained as a result of severe spring flooding.
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