Miss North Dakota Cara Mund named Miss America 2018

Miss North Dakota, Cara Mund, has been crowned as Miss America 2018. It’s the first time a Miss North Dakota has taken the crown.

Mund was named the winner out of 51 contestants — one from each state plus the District of Columbia — who competed to take the place of outgoing Miss America, Savvy Shields, formerly Miss Arkansas.

In the days before she was crowned, Mund encouraged her supporters to take action.

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma were a backdrop to the Miss America preliminary competition last week, with contestants from storm-tossed or threatened states sending messages of support and promises of prayers to those in harm's way.

Miss Texas Margana Wood gave a shout-out to her flooded hometown, Houston; she won Wednesday night's swimsuit preliminary.

Miss Florida Sara Zeng won Friday's swimsuit prelim, and promised to be part of the post-Irma cleanup and recovery effort, regardless of the pageant’s outcome.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group