AGAIN, WE WANT TO GO LIVE TO
DAKOTA DUNES AS SOUTH DAKOTA
GOVERNOR KRISTI NOEM HAS TAKEN
THE PODIUM.
SHE IS GOING TO UPDATE FOLKS
ABOUT DAKOTA DUNES IN NORTH
SIOUX CITY.
GOVERNOR NOEM, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR COMING.
PLEASE GIVE US AN UPDATE ON KIND
OF WHAT YOU'VE SEEN SO FAR AND
WHAT YOU'RE HERE TO DO.
WELL, WE LEFT HERE THIS
AFTERNOON READY TO SEE A LOT OF
THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STATE
THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN TO YET.
OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A TERRIBLE
BLIZZARD THAT HIT THE CENTRAL
PART OF THE STATE, COUPLE FEET
OF SNOW THAT HAD US SOCKED IN
FOR QUITE A WHILE.
STOPPED IN YANKTON AND SAW A LOT
OF INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE, A LOT
OF RUNNING WATER HAS TAKEN OUT
ROADS, CULVERTS, PUT A LOT OF
STRESS ON BRIDGES.
BEFORE I LEFT HERE I SIGNED AN
WE KNOW THAT WATER IS RISING,
THAT WE HAVE SOME MORE WATER
COMING OUR DIRECTION AND THAT WE
NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO WHAT THE STATE IS DOING IS
COORDINATING EFFORTS WITH LOCAL
CITIES AND FOLKS AND COUNTIES
MAKING SURE WE'RE PREPARED FOR
THAT.
AND THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES
THAT WE NEED.
AND THEN ALSO ONCE THIS IS
PASSED THAT WE ARE ABLE TO
COLLECT THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE
THAT THERE IS AND MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE SUBMITTING IT TO GET THE
KIND OF RELIEF THAT WE CAN GET
FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE CAME DOWN IN THE BLACKHAWK,
SO WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE
THAT UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL AND
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASSESSING
WHAT THE DAMAGE IS SO FAR AND
THEN WHAT IT COULD BE WHEN THIS
WATER RECEDES.
OBVIOUSLY THIS INCIDENT ISN'T
OVER YET.
AND WE DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE
OVER UNTIL EARLY NEXT WEEK.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR LOCAL
OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY'RE REQUESTING FROM THE
STATE WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO
BE PREPARED FOR HIGH WATER
LEVELS.
AND THEN ALSO TO MEET THE NEEDS
OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
WE HAVE OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
CENTER OPEN IN PIERRE.
IT IS STAFFED WITH ALL THE
DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES THAT
WILL ASSIST IN THIS.
IT'S A ONE-STOP SHOP FOR OUR
LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO REACH OUT
TO GET SANDBAGS, TO GET EXTRA
AND COSTS THERE MAY BE AT THE
END OF THIS INCIDENT.
SO IT'S BEEN GOING VERY SMOOTHLY
SO FAR, BUT WE STILL GOT A FEW
MORE DAYS TO GET THROUGH.
WE SPOKE WITH SEVERAL FOLKS
TODAY, THE RED CROSS, OTHERS
WHO'VE SAID THIS IS A LOT
EARLIER THAN EXPECTED FLOODING.
WE'VE SEEN FLOODING MANY YEARS
HERE, BUT THIS IS LARGE.
HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE STATE
RIGHT NOW?
HOW DID THIS DO?
WELL, THIS WAS A REALLY
INTERESTING SITUATION.
WE HAD FROZEN GROUND STILL, SO
WHEN WE GOT THIS THUNDERSTORM
AND SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN,
OBVIOUSLY NONE OF IT SOAKED IN.
IT ALL RAN OFF.
THE DUNES HERE TODAY.
WE'RE WATCHING ALL OF THAT AND
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CORPS OF
ENGINEERS AND COORDINATING WITH
THEM TO KIND OF THREAD THE
NEEDLE ON HOW WE, YOU KNOW,
SAFELY SEND THAT WATER DOWN
RIVER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
NOT GOING TO GO OVER TOP LEVIES.
SO IT'S BEEN A REAL COORDINATION
BETWEEN FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, ALSO THE
STATE AND WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING
THIS RIGHT.
AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS REACHED
OUT MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY WELL
AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING
THROUGH BECAUSE SOUTH DAKOTA HAD
A UNIQUE SITUATION.
AND DOWN HERE WE'RE SEEING
PRETTY HISTORIC FLOODING.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT
SI
SITUATIONS GOING ON AND MEETING
THEM AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
GETTING THEM EVERYTHING.
I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH JEFF
DOOLEY QUITE REGULARLY AS WELL.
WE ALL WENT THROUGH THE 2011
FLOOD.
AND THAT EXPERIENCE IS VERY
HELPFUL THIS TIME AROUND.
THERE WAS IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE
MADE DURING THAT TIME AND AFTER
THAT TIME THAT PUT US IN A
BETTER POSITION TODAY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE DUNES IS
ADEQUATELY PREPARED TO TAKE THIS
ON.
TALK ABOUT YOU GOT GOOD
FEDERAL EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW HOW
THAT WORKS AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
WHEN YOU KNOW THERE'S SO MUCH
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE NOT JUST SOUTH
DAKOTA BUT IOWA AND NEBRASKA
SEEING THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE
WE'RE SEEING ALL OVER THIS
REGION, HOW DOES THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WORK AT DISTRIBUTING
RESOURCES WITH SO MUCH DAMAGE?
LUCKILY VERY HELPFUL.
I ALREADY HAD RELATIONSHIPS IN
D.C. WHEN THEY IMMEDIATELY HEARD
THIS STORM SYSTEM WAS COMING TO
SOUTH DAKOTA THEY REACHED OUT
PROACTIVELY AND ASKED HOW THEY
COULD BE HELPFUL.
THAT WAS NICE TO KNOW WE HAD
FOLKS PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS
THAT AS SOON AS WE DID CLEAR
THIS INCIDENT AND COLLECT THE
COSTS OF WHAT WE INCURRED FOR
DAMAGES THAT THEY WERE MORE THAN
FORWARD.
AND JUST LAST WEEK THE
LEGISLATURE IN THE GENERAL BILL
FUNDED $500,000 FOR EMERGENCY
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AS WELL.
MONEY TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT
WAS VERY WISE.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS
YOU HAVE GOING FORWARD?
I KNOW A LOT OF US ARE CONCERNED
ABOUT --
WELL, I'M CONCERNED IN
PARTICULAR WITH GOOD
COMMUNICATION.
YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE INFORMATION
WE CAN RELY ON.
WE ALL WENT THROUGH A SITUATION
IN 2011 I THINK THAT CAUSED US
THAT'S COMING THROUGH GAVIN
QUITE A BIT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ESCALATED
QUICKLY.
SO IT'S 90 CFS RIGHT NOW AND
WILL STAY THERE ABOUT THE NEXT
24 HOURS.
I BELIEVE THAT'S A MANAGEABLE
AMOUNT OF WATER COMING AT US.
AND WE ALSO SAW THAT THE WATER
COMING IN ABOVE GAVIN HAS SLOWED
DOWN.
SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE WON'T
HAVE TO RELEASE MORE AND WE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE OUR WAY
THROUGH THIS.
I KNOW THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW IS
ON THE MISSOURI, BUT HAVE YOU
HAD UPDATES ON THE BIG SIOUX
RIVER, ALL THE WATER COMING FROM
SIOUX FALLS MAKING ITS WAY DOWN
HERE OVER THE WEEKEND?
YEAH, THAT WATER IS COMING
YOUR DIRECTION.
WE ARE WATCHING THAT VERY
CLOSELY.
OBVIOUSLY SIOUX FALLS IS
THRILLED TO SEE WATER LEVELS
DROP, BUT THAT MEANS IT'S
GETTING CLOSER TO YOU.
SO WE ARE MONITORING THAT COMING
IN.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY I WAS GLAD TO SEE LESS WATER
COMING THROUGH GAVIN BECAUSE WE
WON'T BE HITTING A HIGH CREST
WITH THE WATER COMING IN FROM
THE BIG SIOUX AT THE SAME TIME
WE'RE RELEASING THOSE ESCALATED
LEVELS FROM GAVIN.
SO GETTING THOSE LEVELS AT
DIFFERENT AREAS MAKE SURE THAT
WE HAVE A FLOW THAT WE CAN
MANAGE AND WILL STAY BELOW OUR
LEVEE
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
WE DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT
SITUATION TODAY.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE WERE
IMPROVEMENTS MADE FOR
BUT WE ARE BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS.
WE HAVE IS SANDBAGS, EXTRA
PERSONNEL, PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN
PROACTIVE STEPS.
SOME HAVE VOLUNTARILY LEFT
HOMES, WE'VE PLUGGED MANHOLE
COVERS AND SHUT DOWN WATER
SYSTEMS IN SOME AREAS.
SO I THINK THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
HAS DONE INCREDIBLE THINGS TO BE
PREPARED.
AND THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO THE
STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE
DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN
TO GET THROUGH THIS INCIDENT
SAFELY.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
I DID BECAUSE I HAD JUST BEEN
ELECTED IN 2010, CAME IN AND
THEN WE WENT THROUGH THAT 2011
FLOOD.
SO
SO I WAS DOWN HERE SEVERAL TIMES
DURING THAT INCIDENT.
HELPED SANDBAG AND DO DIFFERENT
ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO COORDINATED
THE FEDERAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE
WENT THROUGH AND FEMA EFFORTS
THAT HAPPENED.
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
THIS WAS DIFFERENT THE RAINFALL
THEY HAD THE WHOLE COUNTY IS
UNDER WATER.
THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN JUST
IMPACT THAT HAPPENED RIGHT AT
THE MISSOURI RIVER BACK IN 2011.
NOW THE ENTIRE COUNTY AT ONE
TIME 70% TO 80% OF THEIR ROADS
WERE UNDER WATER, THEY HAD A LOT
OF DAMAGE TO CULVERTS, COUNTY
ROADS, TOWNSHIP ROADS, AND
THAT'S GOING TO BE A
COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT THAT
WILL HAVE TO BE DONE TO REALLY
KNOW WHAT THE TRUE COST OF THAT
DAMAGE WAS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE
DAMAGE, GRAVEL ROADS, RURAL
ROADS, WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE
IS OUT THERE?
YOU KNOW, WHEN THIS INCIDENT
ENDS, WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE THE
BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, WHAT
WE'VE TOLD THEM IS THERE'S 30
DAYS FOR US TO COLLECT THOSE
ASSESSMENTS THAT KNOW WHAT THE
COSTS WERE AND DAMAGES, AND THEN
WE SUBMIT THAT AT A STATE LEVEL
TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND WE WILL -- IN GETTING THOSE
COSTS ASSESSED AND DOCUMENTED
PROPERLY.
THE STATE IS WELL TRAINED IN
THAT.
AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS ARE ALL
LOCATED TO HELP AND COORDINATE
THOSE EFFORTS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE
FOLKS TO IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS
TO REACH OUT TO THE STATE, THE
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER IS
OPEN IN PIERRE AND IT HAS ALL
THE AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS AND
EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY OFFICIALS
HAVE BEEN VERY PRO ACTIVE IN
PREPARING FOR THIS.
AND WE WILL GET THROUGH IT.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH HARD THINGS
BEFORE.
AND WHEN PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER,
HELP THEIR NEIGHBORS, HELP THEIR
COMMUNITIES, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN
GO THROUGH TOUGH TIMES BUT WE'RE
STRONGER.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES SOUTH
DAKOTA PRETTY SPECIAL.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR TIME.
AND KIND OF SURVEY THE DAMAGE
WHAT THE MISSOURI RIVER LOOKS
LIKE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH HER AND
GET A LITTLE BIT OF VIDEO AND
MEET UP WITH HER AND SOME OF
THOSE PEOPLE AROUND TOWN.
BUT FOR NOW WE'LL SEND IT BACK
TO YOU IN THE STUDIO.
TIM, I'M LIVE IN DAKOTA DUNES,
BRIDGET BENNETT, KCAU 9 NEWS.
THANK YOU, BRIDGET.
AGAIN, SOUTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR