Aug. 6, 2026:
South Dakota’s Congressional delegation is asking President Donald Trump to support Governor Larry Rhoden’s request (July 27, 2026) for a major disaster declaration for Highmore and other areas in the central part of the state after severe storms in late June and early July caused extensive damage.
The destruction caused by a series of storms between June 28 and July 3, impacted 21,786 households in eight counties and two tribal communities across roughly 8,500 square miles. Hand, Hyde, Buffalo, Hughes, Stanley, Bennett, Beadle and Day Counties as well as the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Reservations are included in the request. Damage included roads, power systems, parks, recreation areas and public facilities, with Hyde and Beadle Counties experiencing particularly devastating impacts.
The Storm Prediction Center has determined the severe weather in the designated time frame included a mini-derecho, as well as a tornado and a historic windstorm. The mini-derecho produced wind gusts of 131 mph in the Highmore area that are being evaluated for both state and national records.
The damage estimate to public property is more than $4.5 million ($4,564,928), which exceeds federal thresholds for disaster assistance. Hyde County estimates $2.8 million in damages, and Beadle County accounts for almost $900,000. These two counties account for over 80% of the damages from the storms.
If approved, the Presidential declaration would provide public assistance funding for repairs at a cost share of 75% federal, 10% state, and 15% local. In addition, it would make Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding available in the future.
The letter from South Dakota U.S. Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson says, “We support the state’s request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration, as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the relevant areas of our state. We also strongly urge you to approve the state’s request for hazard mitigation funding. This will allow the state to mitigate future damages to vulnerable electric infrastructure. Without this funding, preventable damage to utilities from future disasters will only compound existing repair challenges.”
Rhoden declared a state of emergency on June 30, 2026, which started the disaster process by requesting technical assistance for a preliminary damage assessment by FEMA.
A copy of the Preliminary Damage Assessment by county and damage type is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Preliminary-Damage-Assessment.pdf.
Read the full letter from Thune, Rounds and Johnson to Trump here, https://www.rounds.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/sd_codel_letter_in_support_of_sd_disaster_declaration.pdf.
A copy of the state of emergency Executive Order is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/EO-2026-09_Windstorm-Disaster.pdf.
A copy of the disaster declaraation request to the President is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Presidential-Disaster-Declaration_Request-Letter_signed_07-27-2026.pdf.
July 27, 2026:
Governor Larry Rhoden has requested (July 27, 2026) a presidential major disaster declaration for eight South Dakota counties and two reservations in response to severe weather events in late June and early July 2026.
Hand, Hyde, Buffalo, Hughes, Stanley, Bennett, Beadle and Day Counties as well as the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Reservations were included in the request.
The request covers what the Storm Prediction Center has now determined was a mini-derecho, as well as a tornado and a historic windstorm between June 28 and July 3. The mini-derecho produced extreme gusts of 131 mph in the Highmore area that are being evaluated for both state and national records. Damage included roads, power systems, parks, recreation areas and public facilities, with Hyde and Beadle Counties experiencing particularly devastating impacts.
The damage estimate to public property is more than $4.5 million ($4,564,928), which exceeds federal thresholds for disaster assistance. Hyde County estimates $2.8 million in damages, and Beadle County accounts for almost $900,000. These two counties account for over 80% of the damages from the storms.
If approved, the Presidential declaration would provide public assistance funding for repairs at a cost share of 75% federal, 10% state, and 15% local. In addition, it would make Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding available in the future.
Rhoden declared a state of emergency on June 30, 2026, which started the disaster process by requesting technical assistance for a preliminary damage assessment by FEMA.
A copy of the Executive Order is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/EO-2026-09_Windstorm-Disaster.pdf.
A copy of the request to the President is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Presidential-Disaster-Declaration_Request-Letter_signed_07-27-2026.pdf.
A copy of the Preliminary Damage Assessment by county and damage type is available here, https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Preliminary-Damage-Assessment.pdf.
Courtesy infographic.
June 30, 2026:
Governor Larry Rhoden has declared a state of emergency for the counties where severe storms caused significant damage in portions of central South Dakota on Monday’s (June 29, 2026).
Rhoden, who was in Highmore on Monday, says by declaring a disaster, the state can better support local response efforts. He says the declaration will help reduce administrative barriers associated with debris removal and allow the state to use resources to assist with response and recovery efforts. A formal written declaration will follow.
Areas affected by the powerful storms continue to assess the full extent of the damage and calculate recovery costs. At this time, Rhoden says it’s too early to determine whether the disaster will meet the thresholds necessary to request a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration through the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
Six state agencies are currently assisting with recovery efforts, including 23 inmates who have been trained to assist with storm cleanup.
Comments