Friday, September 14, 2007
Iowa Receives Partial Presidential Disaster Declaration For August Floods
(DES MOINES) Governor Chet Culver today received confirmation that Iowa has received a Presidential Disaster Declaration authorized by President Bush for Public Assistance, which means Iowa government and non-profit agencies affected by the August flooding and severe weather will be eligible to receive federal disaster aid. A request for Individual Assistance to Iowans was denied.
The Governor received notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency that a request for Public Assistance programs was approved in the following 14 counties: Allamakee, Appanoose, Boone, Calhoun, Cherokee, Davis, Humboldt, Mahaska, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Van Buren, Wapello, Wayne, and Webster. Public Assistance program funds are available to public entities and select non-profit agencies to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts, and other public facilities or to cover costs of emergency work during the time of the flooding that began on August 17, 2007.
However a request for Individual Assistance directly to Iowans in these 14 counties was denied: Allamakee, Appanoose, Boone, Calhoun, Clarke, Davis, Humboldt, Mahaska, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Van Buren, Wapello, Wayne, and Webster. This would have allowed residents in the counties to apply for Individual Household Assistance programs. These programs include Disaster Housing, Individual and Family Grants, Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Crisis Counseling, and assistance from the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“While encouraged that Iowa received federal funding to help rebuild key infrastructure, I am disappointed we did not receive a Presidential declaration for Individual Assistance for Iowans,” Culver said. “I saw the damage firsthand in north central and southeastern Iowa, and I know the importance of that assistance. I will review our options and make a determination whether or not to appeal this federal decision denying Individual Assistance.”
For more information on federal disaster assistance, visit www.fema.gov/assistance/process/index.shtm or www.iowahomelandsecurity.org.