Disaster recovery team begins preliminary assessments in ND

Joint teams of disaster recovery experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services and local officials started Preliminary Damage Assessments Wednesday to determine the scope and extent of this year's flood damages.

In his April 20 letter to FEMA Region VIII Director Robin Finegan, Gov. Jack Dalrymple requested FEMA to send a PDA team to North Dakota. In that letter, he listed 40 counties and three Indian reservations that have been affected by the spring flooding.

State and federal teams are meeting with local officials to look at roads, bridges, culverts and other infrastructure damages in addition to reviewing flood-related expenses such as emergency measures and debris clean up.

Currently, PDA teams are not assessing damage to individual homes and properties. People whose homes have been impacted by recent flooding may call the North Dakota Flood Damage Hotline at 1-877-212-0316 to report their damages.

Tags: 2011 flood, flood recovery, news, updates, floods, flooding