North Dakota – North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has formally requested a presidential major disaster declaration after severe storms struck the state on June 20-21. The storms produced over 20 tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds, resulting in widespread destruction and preliminary public damage estimates nearing $11.5 million.
“The destructive power of the storm system that ripped across our state on June 20-21 was unlike anything North Dakotans have seen in recent history – and hopefully something we’ll never see again,” Armstrong said. He praised the rapid response of citizens, volunteers, first responders, utility providers, and emergency managers in helping communities physically recover, and emphasized the need for financial assistance to aid long-term recovery.
Armstrong declared a statewide disaster on June 21 following the storms, which caused four fatalities, left nearly 37,000 residents without power, toppled thousands of trees, and inflicted significant damage to utilities, grain bins, homes, and private property.
The disaster declaration request, submitted through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), covers 19 counties: Barnes, Burleigh, Cass, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, McLean, Morton, Oliver, Ransom, Sheridan, Sioux, Steele, Stutsman, Traill, and Wells. While Mercer, Nelson, and Richland Counties also experienced impacts, damage levels in those areas did not meet FEMA’s assistance thresholds.
If granted, the presidential declaration would unlock FEMA Public Assistance funding to cover costs such as debris removal, emergency operations, and repairs or replacement of damaged infrastructure—including roads, public buildings, and electrical distribution systems. The counties reporting the highest damage assessments were Oliver County at $2.6 million, Cass County at $1.5 million, Barnes County at $1.3 million, and Stutsman County at $1.1 million.
Prior to submitting the request, Governor Armstrong communicated with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, to inform her of the pending declaration. Additionally, Armstrong announced the launch of a Grain Storage and Facility Rebuilder Program on July 1 to assist agricultural producers in quickly replacing damaged infrastructure, with approximately $37 million available through this gap financing initiative. More details on the program can be found on the Bank of North Dakota’s website.
