South Dakota Legislators Request Federal Aid for Recent Disasters

South Dakota’s three members of Congress have asked President Barack Obama to declare a major disaster for three counties hit last month by a tornado and flooding.

In a letter to the president, Rep. Kristi Noem and Sens. Tim Johnson and John Thune requested federal help for Jerauld, Lincoln, and Union counties.

Also Friday, Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s office said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will join state and local officials to assess damage from earlier storms that hit much of the state June 13 through June 20.

Starting July 14, they’ll visit Butte, Clay, Corson, Dewey, Hanson, Jerauld, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Perkins, Turner, Union and Ziebach counties and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Those areas have formally approved disaster declarations.