Iowa Ag Connection - 13 Iowa Counties Declared Disaster Emergencies

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13 Iowa Counties Declared Disaster Emergencies
Iowa Ag Connection - 09/26/2016

Gov. Terry E. Branstad formally issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for 13 counties in response to recent flooding. The counties included in this proclamation include: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright.

The governor's proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe flooding. The proclamation also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for residents of those 13 counties. Branstad's proclamation also activates the Iowa National Guard to assist in the response to, the mitigation of, and the recovery from the effects of the disaster as needed.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the current federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $40,320, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The State of Iowa has been assisting the impacted communities in their response to the flooding and to help prepare for the anticipated flooding in the days ahead.

The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has coordinated the delivery of state resources to the impacted communities.

Resources that have been provided include:

-- More than 180,000 sandbags (4 dump truck loads of sand)

-- 27 water pumps and hoses

-- 65 pallets of flood barriers, equal to 4,320 linear feet

-- 50 traffic barricades

-- Assistance to local law enforcement

-- Four members of Iowa's Incident Management Team to assist with response operations in Linn County

-- 400 Flood Clean-up Kits

--10 dump trucks

Over the next few days, the State will continue to work with local officials in the Cedar River basin to assist with planning and provide them with resources as they prepare for the potential flooding.

For more disaster information, visit www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/disasters/disaster_2016.html.

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