Freezing temperatures and blizzard-like conditions have hit South Dakota.
As the winter storm continued to rage over South Dakota on Thursday night, Governor Kristi Noem issued a state of emergency and deployed the South Dakota National Guard to transport firewood from the Black Hills Forest Service to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
On Thursday, Robert Oliver, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s emergency manager, said that the tribe’s officials had been clearing roads so that gas and firewood could be delivered to houses but that a persistent wind had produced drifts of more than 10 feet in some spots. Noem’s office stated that it has been coordinating with other tribal governments and local officials across the state to respond to the extreme cold and blizzard-like conditions that the tribe has sought help with.
Together, we will assist all of South Dakota’s towns to recover from these storms under the guidance of the Office of Emergency Management,” Noem said in a statement.
As the state’s emergency management agency works with tribal and municipal governments, Noem noted that further National Guard missions might be required.