Delegation Urges Biden to Grant Disaster Declaration for Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) today sent a letter to President Biden urging him to issue a major disaster declaration for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe following extreme weather, particularly strong winds, that occurred July 13, 2024 through July 14, 2024.

"While the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance," wrote the delegation. "We support the Tribe's request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the impacted Tribal areas."

Read the full letter HERE or below.

+++

Dear President Biden:

We write in strong support of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's major disaster declaration request for the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. This disaster declaration request would assist in recovery efforts from severe weather that occurred July 13, 2024, through July 14, 2024.

Beginning the evening of July 13, Tribal areas experienced severe weather resulting from a derecho that brought wind gusts of up to 108 mph as well as heavy rainfalls. These extreme weather conditions caused extensive damage to utility and road infrastructure including to culverts. Dozens of homeowners and businesses sustained damage, including multiple buildings determined to be a complete loss. Critical infrastructure also suffered significant damage including public safety facilities as well as the partial loss of public safety telecommunications systems. While the final cost of the disaster is not yet determined, costs associated with the disaster exceed the Tribe's ability to pay and meets the threshold for federal assistance.

We support the Tribe's request and urge you to approve a major disaster declaration as soon as possible so that the necessary federal resources are available to assist the impacted Tribal areas. Thank you for your prompt attention to this request, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can provide any additional information.

###