KDSN RADIO News
Individual assistance from FEMA for disasters tops $68M in Iowa this year
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved about $68-million in individual assistance for more than 6,900 Iowa households that were impacted by severe weather this year, including deadly tornadoes and flooding.
FEMA spokeswoman Sharon Karr says in all, 29 of Iowa’s 99 counties received a federal disaster declaration.
“Unfortunately, Iowa was subjected to three major disasters this year, and it was terrifying for all of them,” Karr says. “Flooding, of course, was the largest and most frequent disaster.”
The deadline for storm victims to apply for Iowa’s final presidential disaster declaration ended last week.
Even though Iowans can no longer apply for individual assistance, Karr says FEMA will still have a presence in the state.
“We will not rest until Iowa is taken care of,” she says. “There may be people that come and go, but there is still a good, sound core number of people here to make sure that Iowa is taken care of and everything that is expected to be done for them is done.”
Karr says FEMA is focused on ensuring storm victims have a safe place to stay this winter, which includes using manufactured homes.
She says three long-term disaster recovery centers in Council Bluffs, Spencer, and Rock Valley are available to help residents in person, or they can still reach out to FEMA by phone, online, or through a phone app.
