North Dakota State Of Emergency

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has declared a statewide emergency for widespread utility infrastructure damage caused by the ice storm that left more than 20,000 North Dakotans without electricity.  Burgum plans to ask for a presidential disaster declaration to unlock federal assistance to help pay for eligible response costs and infrastructure repairs, including hundreds of downed utility poles after the Christmas storm brought a combination of freezing rain and wind.  The emergency declaration encompasses the three-day event December 25-27 that caused the National Weather Service to issue its first ice storm warning in North Dakota since 2016. Freezing rain coated power lines and poles with ice, while winds toppled over 1,400 poles and snapped power lines, causing millions of dollars in damage.  Thousands of customers in eastern North Dakota remain without electricity as utilities bring in extra crews to restore power. The storm forced many businesses to close or delay services, closed portions of Interstates 29 and 94 and made city streets and rural roads impassable.