North Dakota Official Says That Response to Federal Disaster Aid Request For Storms Delayed

(Photo by Dan Koeck/For the North Dakota Monitor)

(North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota is still waiting on a response to its request for federal disaster relief to help communities damaged by June tornadoes.  Gov. Kelly Armstrong requested federal disaster relief on July 21 for the June 20-21 storms.

Most federal disaster requests are resolved within 30 days, but some can be approved within two weeks, Darin Hanson, North Dakota’s emergency management director, said during a meeting Wednesday.

“We’re well beyond that 30 days now, obviously,” Hanson told members of the North Dakota Emergency Commission. “I do expect to see some sort of an answer here not too much farther after Oct. 1 at the worst case scenario.”

The Emergency Commission on Wednesday gave the Department of Emergency Services the authority to spend about $16 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and about $2 million in state funds – contingent on the presidential disaster request being approved.