Coops Work Toward FEMA Coverage After $15 Million in Ice Storm Damage Costs

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR/KFGO) — The widespread utility infrastructure damage caused by the severe ice storm in southeast and south central North Dakota has been repaired.

But, the cost of that damage is another story with early estimates around $15 million.

Josh Kramer of the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives says that damage is spread out over six distribution cooperatives, with over 5,000 power poles lost.

Thousands of people lost power during Christmas and it took weeks to get it restored for all members.

Kramer says power poles and wires are not insured, so getting FEMA assistance is “key” to allowing the cooperatives to help recover the costs of the outages.

A presidential declaration would trigger the FEMA assistance.