BISMARCK — President Donald Trump approved a presidential disaster declaration for severe storms on Aug. 7-8 that caused significant damage to mostly electrical infrastructure in the state.

The presidential declaration makes public assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which notified the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services that the request had been granted.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong submitted the declaration

request

on Sept. 4.

“We appreciate President Trump and FEMA again granting our request and aiding our recovery from this summer’s extraordinary storms, which tested the capacity of our first responders, emergency managers, utility providers and citizens,” Armstrong said. “This assistance will especially help our utility providers by defraying their recovery costs and helping them hold down rates for the North Dakota residents they serve, who showed incredible grit and resiliency in quickly recovering from these severe storms.”

The Aug. 7-8 storms brought damaging straight-line winds, large hail and numerous tornadoes.

The declaration, approved Wednesday, Oct. 22, covers Barnes, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, Nelson, Steele and Stutsman counties.

Straight-line winds up to 100 mph caused damage in Jamestown and to a farm north of Courtenay. The storm also caused power outages to some Jamestown residents after straight-line winds downed power lines in the area.

In Jamestown, the storm took a roof off the west side of an apartment building at 713 14th St. SE, displacing residents. The roof landed on vehicles outside the apartment building.

At the farmstead surveyed north of Courtenay, the National Weather Service in Bismarck said significant damage occurred to buildings and grain handling equipment.

The weather service also said significant damage, primarily to trees, occurred over the southern part of Jamestown.

Winds up to 90 mph caused severe damage to a grain elevator in Thompson, power outages for some Grand Forks residents and downed trees.

It was the second time this year that Trump granted Armstrong’s request for a presidential disaster declaration. In September, Trump declared a disaster for the June 20 storms.

In September, Trump

approved

Armstrong’s request for a 19-county presidential major disaster declaration covering damage from June 20-21 storms that spawned more than 20 tornadoes, resulting in four storm-related deaths and causing more than $11 million in damage to public infrastructure as well as significant damage to utilities, grain bins, homes and other private property.

For more information about storm recovery, including the Grain Storage & Facility Rebuilder Program created in response to the June storms, visit

www.ndresponse.gov

.

Masaki Ova joined The Jamestown Sun in August 2021 as a reporter. He grew up on a farm near Pingree, N.D. He majored in communications at the University of Jamestown, N.D.

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