South Dakota County Seeks Storm Help

Day County commissioners have declared a disaster because of the crops lost in a July 31 storm that brought 100 mph winds and hail to parts of northeast South Dakota.

The resolution states there was “extensive damage to dams, livestock facilities, farm sites, grain elevators, grain bins and crops.” It asks the federal Farm Service Agency and Gov. Mike Rounds to “take appropriate action.”

In the Roslyn, Grenville and Eden areas, hail ripped almost every leaf off soybean plants and reduced corn fields to little more than bare, tan stalks sticking out of the ground.

“They really got hammered,” said Steve Schmidt, owner of the Roslyn Elevator, which also sustained damage.

“It’s sad to see whole crops gone just like that after all the hard work farmers put into them,” Day County Auditor Sandra Raap said.

Brown County also received damage, but will wait on declaring a disaster, said Dawn Brandt, chief executive director of the federal FSA office for Brown County. Preliminary estimates indicate there might not be enough crop damage in Brown County to qualify for federal aid, she said.

In Marshall County, there are no plans to seek federal disaster help, said Stan Thompson, head of the Farm Service Agency for that county. Severe crop damage was limited to parts of the southern third of the county, he said.

Source: Aberdeen American News.