Congresswoman presses flood concerns with FEMA

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Mike White, of rural Woonsocket, loads wet carpet from the Woonsocket home of his mother, Jo White. (Laura Wehde/Republic Photo)

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• Water invades Woonsocket

U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., has personally met with the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make it clear how seriously flooding is impacting South Dakota, she said Thursday.

Herseth Sandlin requested the face-to-face meeting with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, which was held Wednesday, she said during a teleconference with South Dakota reporters.

“Outside resources are imperative to get these communities back on their feet,” Herseth Sandlin said on the call.

No funding was made available after the meeting, but the point was made, she said. South Dakota is in need of continued assistance to combat floodwaters rising across the state.

Fugate visited South Dakota in March at the request of Gov. Mike Rounds. FEMA crews have been in the state since that time.

Herseth Sandlin said she asked Fugate to come to her office to emphasize the need for pre-emptive measures to deal with flooding.

It’s clear from the extent of the damage that “more longterm mitigation” is needed, she said.

The congresswoman said “Band-Aid approaches” to repairing roads are not the answer. Roads should be raised rather than simply spread with gravel that gets washed away by the next major storm, she said.

Herseth Sandlin, who held several public hearings in the state this spring, said she heard from local leaders, farmers and homeowners and conveyed that information to FEMA’s boss.

She said another hurdle for rural communities is the 25 percent match often required for federal grants. That’s difficult for many small towns to come up with.

Fugate understood, Herseth Sandlin said. “He shares my concerns. Administrator Fugate is committed to working with rural communities, including South Dakota’s tribes, to improve their access to these programs.”

Other federal agencies will have to be involved, as well as state and local agencies, she said. The Army Corps of Engineers also has a role to play in dealing with flooding, which is becoming a yearly concern in South Dakota and other states, Herseth Sandlin said.

She said Fugate agreed with her during the meeting, which she termed positive and productive.

“I’m pleased that he agrees with the need to do more longterm planning.” Herseth Sandlin said.

On another topic, Herseth Sandlin said the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal was the correct step.

“I think it was a necessary decision for our national security,” she said, citing the “terribly unfortunate comments” he and his staff made to a Rolling Stone magazine reporter.

She said she was “very pleased” by the choice of Gen. David Petraeus to lead American forces in Afghanistan.

Tags: stephanie herseth sandlin, news, state, fema, flooding, fccnetwork