WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley and the entire Iowa delegation wrote to President Donald Trump urging the Administration to grant the request made by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for a declaration of a major disaster for 30 Iowa counties in response to severe weather that produced high winds, thunderstorms, hail, heavy rains, flash flooding and river flooding between June 6, 2018 and July 2, 2018.
The delegation wrote that Governor Reynolds determined this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response and support is beyond the resources and capabilities of the State and affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is needed.
Severe weather caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property. The 30 counties included in this request for public assistance is Adair, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dallas, Delaware, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hamilton, Hancock, Howard, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Polk, Sioux, Story, Warren, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek and Wright.
Reynolds also requested assistance though the FEMA Individual Assistance Program, the Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance programs for the four counties of Buchanan, Dickinson, Polk and Winnebago. A presidential declaration of a major disaster is necessary to trigger release of federal funds for assistance.
Signing the letter were Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst and Reps. Rod Blum, Dave Loebsack, David Young and Steve King.
