FEMA will not provide assistance to families with sinkhole issue

BLACK HAWK, S.D. (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency said several South Dakota residents who evacuated from their homes after a sinkhole collapsed and exposed an abandoned mine in April are not eligible to receive federal aid.

FEMA told Sen. Mike Rounds in a June 12 letter that the agency had discussions about whether any of its programs can assist Meade County residents. The letter said that “FEMA, unfortunately, will not be a source of assistance.” The Rapid City Journal reports that the gypsum mine that emerged displaced 12 families in a Black Hawk neighborhood after breaking water and sewer lines.