Thursday, December 27, 2007
Governor Culver Requests Presidential Disaster Declaration For December Storms
30 counties now included in declaration
(Des Moines)- Governor Chet Culver has sent a letter to President George W. Bush requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration as a result of the ice and snow storms that affected southern and eastern Iowa earlier this month.
“The storms that affected parts of Iowa earlier this month impacted thousands of people, and it will take months to fully recover from the damage,” said Governor Culver. “Though state and local emergency management officials have done an outstanding job in responding to the challenges this storm brought, the severity and magnitude is too great for us to handle alone. That is why I call on President Bush to approve this disaster declaration, which will help speed the recovery process and return life in southern Iowa to normal.”
The Governor is requesting federal assistance under a program called Public Assistance for the following 30 counties: Adair, Adams, Appanoose, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Davis, Decatur, Fremont, Iowa, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Linn, Lucas, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Page, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, and Wayne. The public assistance program is designed to help public and certain non-profit organizations rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts, and other public facilities. Emergency work of clearing the ice and snow is also included. Preliminary damage assessments for potential eligible expenses under the federal program have been set at $16.5 million.
Please note that the above damage assessments are preliminary estimates for damages that would be covered by federal programs should Iowa receive a Presidential Declaration. The estimate does not cover many damages. For example, damages to private utility infrastructure, or individual homes are not included. Actual damages are much higher. Additional counties can be added to the Presidential Disaster Declaration request as warranted.
Governor Culver has already proclaimed the same 30 same counties under a Governor’s Proclamation. This proclamation allows state resources to assist local communities affected by the storm at no cost. It also opened Iowa's new individual disaster assistance program for people in those counties with low incomes. Iowans with household incomes of up to 130 percent of federal poverty guidelines may apply for a grant of up to $3,300 to help recover from these storms. The governor emphasized that this is a reimbursement program, and stressed that applicants must include receipts when applying for help.
The grant application and step-by-step instructions on how to fill it out are found on the front page of the Department of Human Services website: dhs.iowa.gov. Look for the words "Storm Help.” Or individuals can call toll-free (877) 937-3663 to find out more. Damages to individual Iowans were not high enough to warrant a request for the federal Individual Assistance program.