News

The North Dakota Department of Emergency Services is notifying local agencies of impacts from the cancellation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, as announced in a FEMA press release on April 4, 2025.

Two wildland fires started in McKenzie County near Watford City yesterday, March 27.  When local resources were overwhelmed, officials within the State Emergency Operations Center dispatched state resources to join the fight.

Gov. Kelly Armstrong today signed an executive order declaring a statewide fire emergency and activating the State Emergency Operations Plan as above average temperatures and below average precipitation continue to exacerbate drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires.

Lower than average precipitation and above average temperatures are combining to look like an earlier and longer spring fire season for North Dakota.

The planned outage affecting multiple North Dakota counties' 911 service has been rescheduled and is now expected to only impact certain landlines.

Alternative numbers are available if the planned maintenance results in an interruption of 911 service in the affected counties.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced low interest disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by adverse weather.  Small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in North Dakota are now eligible to apply.

911 callers can now be transferred directly to 988 thanks to a recent integration with State Radio and 988.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for utility projects that restore function and mitigate impacts from severe weather, flooding, wildfire, and other natural hazards within the State of North Dakota. 

Local, state, tribal, and federal fire response continues through a historic fire situation in North Dakota, where damage includes one loss of life and another serious injury.