McCook Lake victims still ‘in the dark,’ waiting for FEMA help nearly seven weeks after flood • South Dakota Searchlight

Nearly seven weeks after the devastating June 23 flood at McCook Lake, victims are still in limbo about the possibility of federal aid, and some feel abandoned by government officials.

Renae Hansen is a flood victim and works with the McCook Lake Izaak Walton League, which has tried to fill some of the leadership and organizational gaps in the flood response.

“We have no idea what’s happening or what to expect,” Hansen said. “It feels like we’re being kept in the dark.”

The flood destroyed or severely damaged at least 40 homes and some infrastructure in the McCook Lake area. Some flood victims — including some who lack flood insurance — are staying in hotels or with family or friends as they wait for news about possible help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Hansen also described the confusion and lack of coordination on the ground in McCook Lake, noting that the Izaak Walton League was filling recovery roles beyond its expertise because no other institution was doing it. She recently moved away from that effort to resume handling the organization’s primary obligations. 

“We were just trying to help,” she said. “But we didn’t have any official support or direction. We had volunteers trying to log damages without any guidance from the city or state.”

FEMA wait explained

Some residents expressed their frustration about the wait for federal assistance on Monday during a North Sioux City Council meeting. More than a month passed between the flood and Republican Governor Kristi Noem’s July 26 request to the president for a major disaster declaration, and there has been no word yet on a presidential declaration that would trigger FEMA aid.

Hansen wants to know why it took that long and is calling for more state action.

“We have residents on the brink of homelessness,” Hansen said. “We need answers, but we also need support.”

‘We have nothing’: Flood victims say government failures continue after botched flood warning

In Iowa, which also experienced flooding from the same historically heavy rainstorms in late June, President Joe Biden approved that state’s disaster declaration on June 24. However, Iowa had already been working with FEMA regarding other storms that began on June 16. 

Tony Mayne is a media relations specialist with the FEMA Region 8 Office. He said South Dakota took the “standard” route for its disaster declaration, and Iowa chose the “expedited” route. 

“South Dakota determined the process that would be best for the state,” he said.

Mayne said the expedited route is for disasters where officials are confident they know the extent of the damages — because if an overestimation is submitted, the state pays the difference. Mayne did not speak for the state of South Dakota but said flood damage across the 25 affected counties varies widely in comparison to McCook Lake.

“Sure, damage to that one area is obvious,” he said. “It’s not just that one area.” 

In response to questions about the process from South Dakota Searchlight, Noem’s spokesman, Ian Fury, pointed to a previous press release comment by Kristi Turman, director of the Division of Emergency Services at the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

“This thorough damage assessment was normal protocol for a presidential disaster declaration,” Turman said, “and it’s an important part of the process to make sure all eligible counties and citizens are included.”

As flood victims wait on assistance, some contractors who assisted with the flood preparations and response are being paid. During the North Sioux City Council meeting, council members approved several pay requests for the flood, including a $59,000 payment to The Blue Cell, a contractor based in Colorado. North Sioux City’s mayor said state officials advised hiring Blue Cell to help manage the disaster. Todd Manns, Blue Cell’s owner, did not respond to an interview request.

Noem: ‘Everything we can to help’

Hours before the McCook Lake flood on June 23, Noem held a press conference in North Sioux City where neither she nor any of the other public officials in attendance expressed any grave concerns about McCook Lake, even though a record crest was already projected on the nearby Big Sioux River. 

The main focus of the press conference was a voluntary evacuation order for nearby Dakota Dunes and the construction of a temporary levee, which neither Noem nor anyone else at the press conference clearly explained was intended to divert water toward McCook Lake. Authorities hoped water wouldn’t reach the lake and assumed that if it did, the lake would swell manageably, and excess water would drain toward the Missouri River. Instead, floodwaters slammed into the lake on the evening of June 23 and caused catastrophic damage.

Following the June 23 afternoon press conference, Noem flew to a speaking engagement for a county Republican Party fundraiser in Tennessee while the floodwaters ravaged McCook Lake that night. 

From June 23 to 27, Noem shared over a dozen posts on her personal X (formerly Twitter) profile, mostly about the southeastern South Dakota flooding. Two linked to videos of press conferences that have since been deleted. Posts show she visited the region in that timeframe. 

“My heart goes out to the families on McCook Lake whose homes were destroyed by this flooding,” she shared. “We’ll keep doing everything we can to help with the situation.”

“Everything” did not include deploying the National Guard, which Noem declined to do.

McCook Lake catastrophe shatters complacency around old flood plans

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell joined Noem in McCook Lake to survey the devastation days after the flood. “I am going to do everything I can to get assistance to our communities ASAP and help these families start to recover their lives,” Noem wrote in posts featuring photos with Criswell.

South Dakota U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson told South Dakota Searchlight on Wednesday that he thinks FEMA aid will be approved soon.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Johnson, a Republican. “This is not a close call. This was a devastating event.”

However, Mayne, the spokesperson for FEMA, said the agency can’t do much for the people who lost their homes. FEMA’s Individual Assistance program is designed to meet basic needs and help households recover, but it typically covers only essential expenses such as temporary housing and minor repairs.

“We’re not going to make you whole, we’re not going to rebuild your house,” he said, advising residents to turn to local organizations and nonprofits. 

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, said it’s unlikely the congressional delegation will be able to secure federal funding beyond the FEMA aid. 

“We’ll look at what other options might be out there, but it’s going to be challenging,” he said.