(Johnston) Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a press conference on Sunday at the State Emergency Operations Center in Johnston to address the ongoing flooding emergency in northwest Iowa. Reynolds stated that massive rainfall began on Friday and caused severe flooding across several counties in northwest Iowa.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has requested an expedited Presidential Disaster Declaration for Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe storms and widespread flooding that occurred on June 21 and is continuing.
The letter requests activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Individual Assistance Program and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans for the following nine (9) counties: Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Plymouth, and Sioux. In addition, the letter requests the activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance Program for the following twenty-two (22) counties: Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth and Wright.
John Benson, Director of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, stated that his department is doing all it can to support the flood-affected citizens.
Benson says this flood is not over. He noted that this severe flood will not cease but blossom across the state. All the water in northwest Iowa is being dumped into the Missouri River, and the gauges on the Missouri River are going up quickly.
Benson says the seven—to ten-day forecast for rain focused mainly on the state’s eastern half. He says those rivers are rising, and the additional rainfall will cause them to increase further.
Benson says flood victims can log onto disasterrecovery.iowa.gov to learn how to engage with the various programs. This site will be updated as they move through the recovery process.
