South Dakota seeks federal disaster declaration for eight counties and two reservations after severe storms
Gov. Larry Rhoden formally asked the federal government on July 27, 2026, to declare a presidential major disaster for eight South Dakota counties and the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations after severe storms struck from June 28 through July 3.
The request covers Beadle, Bennett, Buffalo, Day, Hand, Hughes, Hyde and Stanley counties. It also includes the Crow Creek and Lower Brule reservations, putting tribal communities in the same federal declaration request as the affected county governments.
Rhoden said approval could make several million dollars in federal recovery funding available. That money has not been awarded. A request for a declaration is a formal appeal for federal action, not a finding that assistance has been approved or that every resident, business or local government in the listed areas will qualify.
A six-day period of severe weather
The state described the June 28-to-July 3 period as involving three significant types of weather: a mini-derecho, a tornado and a historic windstorm. The declaration request seeks federal consideration for damage associated with that storm period rather than a single isolated event.
South Dakota declared a state of emergency on June 30, while the storm period was still underway. The state then requested assistance with FEMA damage assessments before Rhoden submitted the presidential disaster declaration request.
That sequence moved the response from state action toward a federal decision. The emergency declaration represented South Dakota’s initial response, the damage-assessment request sought help documenting impacts, and the July 27 filing asked for a presidential major disaster declaration.
What a declaration could mean
If approved, the declaration could create a path to federal recovery assistance for eligible residents, tribal communities, local governments and businesses in the affected jurisdictions. Eligibility and the types of assistance available would depend on the terms of any federal declaration and the damage identified through the assessment process.
For local governments and tribal communities, federal assistance could help support recovery from damage caused by multiple severe-weather events. For residents and businesses, the practical question is whether the federal government approves the request and what categories of losses are ultimately determined to be eligible.
Rhoden’s estimate of several million dollars describes potential federal recovery funding, not a final award. The state has not announced a final eligible damage total or county-by-county assistance amounts.
Areas named in the request
The eight counties are Beadle, Bennett, Buffalo, Day, Hand, Hughes, Hyde and Stanley. The two reservations are Crow Creek and Lower Brule.
The request therefore covers 10 named jurisdictions across South Dakota: eight counties and two reservations. The inclusion of the reservations recognizes storm impacts in tribal communities alongside the counties named by the governor.
The next major step is a federal decision on whether to issue the presidential major disaster declaration. No federal decision on Rhoden’s July 27 request has been announced. Until that decision, the possible recovery funding remains contingent on federal approval and later determinations about eligible damage and assistance.
Sources
- South Dakota closes fiscal year with surplus, Office of the Governor of South Dakota
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