Gov. Larry Rhoden announced Friday that South Dakota has received a presidential disaster declaration for a record-breaking winter windstorm that struck the state on Dec. 17 and 18, 2025.
The declaration provides federal assistance to help recover from widespread damage caused by extreme winds, including gusts over 90 mph in parts of western South Dakota. The storm downed trees and power lines, damaged public infrastructure, and left thousands without power, with the Black Hills region particularly hard hit.
“I appreciate President Trump giving us the help we need to rebuild and strengthen the communities hit hardest by this storm,” Rhoden said.
The declaration applies to public property in Custer, Fall River, and Pennington counties. Damage assessments conducted in January found more than $4.6 million in public infrastructure damage across the three counties, exceeding federal thresholds for disaster aid.
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