News

FARGO, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum this morning signed an executive order declaring a statewide flood emergency, paving the way for requests for federal assistance to help North Dakotans deal with significant flooding impacts caused by heavy fall rains and a historic October blizzard.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and other state officials will meet with local officials and community members on Monday, Oct. 21, in Fargo, Grand Forks and Jamestown and hold a townhall meeting in Fessenden to hear about the impacts of North Dakota’s unusually wet fall and last weekend’s record-breaking early snowstorm and to discuss the state’s response efforts.

Last weekend’s winter storm made a bad situation worse for many North Dakota agricultural producers.

BISMARCK – The extensive wet pattern in North Dakota, topped with an early snowstorm, is creating a great deal of anxiety for farmers and ranchers. The state is exploring all possible means of assistance and encouraging those in emotional distress to reach out for help, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Gov. Doug Burgum said today in a joint statement.

BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota’s State Emergency Operations Plan has been activated and state agencies are closely monitoring this winter storm in case local response capabilities become overwhelmed, Gov. Doug Burgum said today.

Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, director of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES), and Cody Schulz, North Dakota Homeland Security director, today led a conference call with emergency managers from across the state to determine if additional resources or capabilities are needed to respond to last weekend’s severe storms and heavy rainfall. The conversation also focused on determining the extent of damages experienced by the affected jurisdictions and the upcoming recovery process.

The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) recently was notified that FEMA has made available $410 million in federal funding through two Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs: Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM).

North Dakota Department of Health (NDDoH) received the first report of severe respiratory illness with a history of vaping or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use. North Dakota now joins 25 other states who have reported more than 200 potential cases of severe respiratory illness from e-cigarettes among teenagers and adults.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring has activated the North Dakota Hay Hotline as parts of northern North Dakota are experiencing abnormally dry or moderate drought conditions.

BISMARCK, N.D. – Representatives from more than 50 local, state and federal agencies today concluded a 3-day disaster response exercise sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services (NDDES) at the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) on Fraine Barracks in Bismarck. The exercise scenario, which included a hazardous chemical spill, was designed to test participants’ ability to collaborate with their counterparts in a multi-jurisdictional environment.