KOTA Radio (Rapid City, SD):  Pennington County commissioners voted last week during their regular meeting to declare a disaster for damages that occurred from  May 21 to June 7, during which the emergency manager Dustin Willett said there were successive precipitation events.

He said the preliminary damage assessment was $725,000, well in excess of the per capita indicator that enough damage exists to get some assistance for some of the cost. Willett said this includes all of the road damage, not only from Pennington County but at least 6 other road districts.

Commissioner Mark DiSanto queried the highway superintendent Joe Miller about that cost, saying it seemed too low, especially after inspecting Wilsey Road, which, if built in the same location, will continue to be subject to erosion from the Cheyenne River

The first step would be to declare local disaster.  A resolution then goes to the state, compiled with estimates from surrounding counties, that is then submitted to the governor, who then decides whether or not to send that on to the President.