Flood Damage in South Dakota’s Lincoln County Estimated at $2M

Officials in Lincoln County estimate recent flood damage to roads and bridges at more than $2 million, and they’re hoping for federal aid.

“The damage is massive,” County Emergency Manager Harold Timmerman told the Argus Leader newspaper.

Road repairs are underway, and officials hope to complete the work by the time the ground freezes later this year. At least 40 bridges also will need to be fixed, according to County Commissioner David Gillespie.

“A couple of the smaller, simpler projects have been repaired, but the majority still needs repairs,” he said.

The county is looking to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fund most of the work. Gov. Dennis Daugaard and the state’s congressional delegation also have pressed for federal aid.

The flooding throughout southeastern South Dakota last month was caused by heavy rains. The Capital Journal reported that rainfall was at record levels in parts of the region, according to Doug Kluck, central regional climate services director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The records included nearly 20 inches of rain in June in the Lincoln County city of Canton, where about 1,100 homes were affected. Volunteers are still helping families sift through belongings and clean flooded basements, according to Timmerman.

“A lot of homes have been emptied out but need to be disinfected before repairs can be made,” he said.