Fema awards Jamestown $244,000 for storm debris removal

Federal emergency money is now covering part of Jamestown’s storm cleanup bill, with the city set to receive more than $244,000 for jurisdiction-wide debris removal after the June 20-21, 2025 severe weather outbreak.

The funding is part of $846,128.55 in Public Assistance awarded to North Dakota for the storms, tornadoes and straight-line winds that swept across the state. For Jamestown, the key detail is the local share: debris removal is still being reimbursed long after the winds passed, which means the city has been documenting cleanup work through the disaster-assistance process instead of absorbing the full cost on its own.

The June storm system hit Stutsman County hard. North Dakota officials said it produced more than 20 tornadoes, knocked out power to nearly 37,000 people and caused four storm-related deaths. The National Weather Service in Bismarck said a discrete supercell just south of Jamestown produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter before the storm line pushed north with widespread 80 to 100 mph wind gusts. A brief tornado east of Jamestown and another tornado near Spiritwood added to the damage that scattered debris across roads, yards and public property.

Governor Kelly Armstrong requested a presidential major disaster declaration on July 21, 2025, saying preliminary public damage statewide was nearly $11.5 million. Stutsman County’s public damage assessment total came in at $1.1 million, and FEMA’s damage review placed the county among 19 eligible for Public Assistance. The declaration, issued Sept. 11, 2025, opened federal reimbursement for debris removal, emergency work and repair or replacement of damaged public infrastructure.

For Jamestown, the payment does more than trim a cleanup tab. It helps ease pressure on the local budget at a time when storm recovery costs can linger far beyond the initial response, especially after tornadoes and straight-line winds leave behind damaged trees, utility debris and other public hazards. The award also shows that the June storm system is still moving through the formal recovery pipeline, with Stutsman County and its largest city continuing to recover nearly a year later.