When Disaster Strikes, South Dakotans Come Together

Just last week, I was in Highmore celebrating Old Settler Days. I had planned to use this week’s News from the Road to reflect on the thoughtful conversations I had there about the future of public education.

Then everything changed.

On Monday, June 29, straight-line winds devastated the Highmore community. Gusts reaching 131 mph ripped roofs from homes, flattened farm buildings, and crushed grain bins like tin cans. According to various local news sources, these may have been the second strongest directly measured straight-line thunderstorm wind gusts ever recorded.

One of the things I have always admired about South Dakota is how neighbors respond in moments like these. People don’t wait to be asked. They simple show up. They share generators, clear debris, cut fallen trees, and check on one another. I’ve witnessed that spirit since I was a child, and it remains one of the greatest strengths of our state.

That generosity gets recovery started, but rebuilding homes, farms, and businesses requires more than volunteer labor. Families and business owners need insurance companies to honor the commitments they’ve made, and they need disaster assistance programs that work efficiently when disaster strikes.

Whether it’s severe storms, flooding, wildfires, or damaging winds, communities across South Dakota are experiencing more frequent and more costly weather events. We cannot ignore what is happening, and we have a responsibility to prepare for it.

Preparation begins at home. Every homeowner, renter, farmer, and business owner should review their insurance coverage and understand what is, and isn’t, protected before disaster strikes. Insurance only works when the promises made in a policy are honored. Families and businesses that have faithfully paid their premiums deserve timely, fair claims processing when they need it most. Holding insurance companies accountable for the coverage they have sold is essential to protecting working families and rural communities.

Government also has an important responsibility. When disasters overwhelm local resources, FEMA exists to help communities recover. Too often, however, its response has been slow, difficult to navigate, and inconsistent for the people depending on it. Disaster assistance should be efficient, transparent, and focused on getting people back on their feet, not buried in paperwork and delays.

As South Dakota’s representative in Congress, I will work to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve coordination between local, state, and federal partners, and ensure FEMA delivers the timely, accountable service taxpayers expect. Our communities deserve a recovery system that works when lives, homes, farms, and small businesses are on the line.

My thoughts are with everyone in Highmore as they begin the difficult work of recovery. South Dakotans have always taken care of one another in times of need. Now it’s up to our public institutions and private partners to do the same.

To see drone footage of the damage, check out AeroAg Drone Services video.

Want to help the community of Highmore recover? You can find information here.