Government shutdown could stall disaster aid for North Dakota

National Weather Service upgrades Enderlin tornado to EF5

FARGO, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — North Dakota won’t get federal disaster relief for communities affected by the June 20-21 storms until after the government shutdown ends, according to the state Department of Emergency Services.

President Donald Trump last month approved Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief to help communities damaged by the severe weather repair and replace infrastructure. The storms included several tornadoes, as well as large hail and heavy wind, which caused significant damage to the state’s agricultural industry.

The state will not be reimbursed for any damages while the shutdown is ongoing, but officials will continue working on reimbursement requests to submit to the federal government in the meantime, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

The presidential declaration, which did not include a dollar amount, makes federal assistance available to 19 counties.

A preliminary estimate of the damages submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in July exceeded $11.4 million.

The Department of Emergency Services in a September Emergency Commission meeting said it expects to receive about $16 million in relief money from the federal government. Officials said they expect the state to provide about $2.5 million in assistance.

The 19 counties eligible for relief under the presidential declaration are Barnes, Burleigh, Cass, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Ransom, Sheridan, Sioux, Steele, Stutsman, Traill and Wells.

The National Weather Service on Monday announced that a tornado that touched down in Enderlin on June 20 had been upgraded to an EF5, the most severe category of tornado. EF5 tornadoes have top wind speeds exceeding 200 mph.

The Enderlin tornado is believed to be the first EF5 in the United States since 2013, according to the National Weather Service website.

The Governor’s Office in September submitted a separate request for federal disaster relief for August storms, which is still under review. The storm caused an estimated $6 million in damage, especially to electrical infrastructure. The state has requested assistance for Barnes, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Nelson, Steele, and Stutsman counties.

The federal government shut down on Wednesday after Congress failed to adopt a budget or stopgap funding, resulting in hundreds of thousands of federal employees being put on furlough and others working without pay. North Dakota agencies last week said that they expect federally funded services provided through the state to be largely unaffected by the shutdown.

By Mary Steurer