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State agencies report major wind damage in Highmore; disaster-declaration assessment underway
Summary
CERC members reported straight-line winds above 130 mph in Highmore with extensive property and infrastructure damage; state agencies and volunteers are assisting cleanup and officials said they are assessing whether damages meet the roughly $1.8 million threshold to request federal disaster assistance.
Chair Tina Tootsie updated the Chemical Emergency Response Commission on storm impacts in Highmore, South Dakota, saying straight-line winds were reported above 130 miles per hour and had caused significant damage to homes, a nursing home, power lines, green bins, businesses and some wind turbines.
"We had a storm go through Highmore... straight line winds, reported winds over a 130 mile per hour," Tootsie said. State agencies and volunteers are on site assisting cleanup, and the Department of Corrections provided inmate crews to support debris removal.
Tootsie said the state is working to determine whether to request a state emergency declaration and is assessing damages to see if thresholds for federal disaster assistance are met. "There is certain threshold, approximately 1,800,000, to request federal disaster assistance," she said, noting that damage assessments are critical to that decision.
Officials reported several small spills (waste oil among them) and said the Department of Environment staff have been helping with waste-management coordination, including making necessary exceptions for disposal where appropriate. Agencies expect additional volunteer organizations to remain involved during recovery.
Commissioners exchanged questions about the potential for a formal declaration and cleanup logistics; the chair said the state is preparing assessments and coordinating with local response partners. No formal disaster declaration had been announced during the meeting.
(Provenance: chair's update to the commission and follow-on department remarks about assistance and small spills.)
