(Minden) A Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) will provide on-site assistance to the victims of the recent tornado in Minden on Saturday. MARC is a one-stop shop assistance center for information and service delivery for disaster survivors.
While clean-up efforts continue following the EF3 tornado on April 26, the Multi-Agency Resource Center will deliver services to individuals and families affected by the disaster by bringing together multiple service providers in a single location and providing on-site assistance.
Pottawattamie County has announced two upcoming dates for an established MARC, with approximately 15 organizations available for assistance. The MARC will set up in Minden, Iowa, where the most concentrated damage in the county occurred on Saturday, May 4, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon and on May 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the United Church of Christ at 106 Lincoln Street in Minden.
The assistance at the MARC will include health and mental services, temporary housing, legal services, and more. Efforts to establish future MARCs are being coordinated, with possible locations in Crescent, Treynor, and Council Bluffs. Regardless of the location, the MARCs will be open to all Pottawattamie County residents impacted by the tornado outbreak.
Assessments of structural damage throughout the county are ongoing and will take time to complete accurately. Officials currently estimate that approximately 300 homes and businesses in the county experienced some level of damage.
In Minden, officials assess 48 homes as destroyed, displacing resident occupancy. Access to the city has been limited to city residents, public safety personnel, and utility crews, as safety hazards remain an obstacle. Officials are hopeful outside volunteer assistance will be allowed entry in the coming days.
Power has been restored to all homes and businesses in Minden. The State of Iowa has partnered with the City of Minden to obtain contract services for a temporary water treatment plant and debris removal contract that will expedite recovery.
No need for food, water, or emergency shelter has been communicated anywhere in Pottawattamie County. All communities in the county have received sufficient donations of household items, so disaster survivors can access these resources from multiple locations.
- Crescent City Hall, 102 W Florence Street, Crescent, Iowa
- Neola Area Community Center, 110 4th Street, Neola, Iowa
- Treynor City Hall, 11 West Main Street, Treynor, Iowa
Monetary donations can be made to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund to support areas impacted throughout the region (GiveWesternIowa.org). A separate fund is being established for donations explicitly designated to the community of Minden, and information on how to make that donation will be announced in the coming days.
As local and state officials explore opportunities for federal funding, property owners must report storm-related damage on the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency website, pcema-ia.org.
