Northwest Iowa (SiouxCountyRadio) — Recovery funding connected to the devastating 2024 floods and severe storms continues to reach Northwest Iowa communities, with more than $2.4 million in newly announced FEMA reimbursements and grants headed to projects in Sioux and Lyon counties.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley announced late last week that 13 projects across Iowa will receive a combined $5.6 million through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Among the Northwest Iowa projects included in the announcement were funding awards for the Sioux County Conservation Board, Rock Valley Residential Housing, Lyon County, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawarden.
Sioux County Conservation Repairs Continue
The Sioux County Conservation Board is set to receive $800,214.15 connected to repairs and replacements involving beaches, furniture, piers, and tables damaged during the 2024 flooding and severe storms.
Sioux County Conservation Board Director Rob Klocke says some of the most severe damage occurred to roads, berms, and trails at conservation areas across the county.
Klocke says the county initially spent roughly $1.8 to $1.9 million on flood-related repairs countywide, with total recovery costs expected to reach around $2.5 million to $2.6 million once all projects are completed.
Trinity Lutheran Church in Hawarden is also set to receive $632,768.46 for building exterior and interior repair or replacement tied to the 2024 flooding and severe storms.
Rock Valley Demolition Work Included
The FEMA announcement also included $252,505.24 for Rock Valley Residential Housing connected to Public Assistance grant management costs tied to the 2024 flooding and storms.
Rock Valley City Administrator Tom Van Maanen says the funding appears to focus on demolition efforts for flood-damaged homes outside the city’s larger buyout program.
He says FEMA funding also helps communities cover professional and administrative assistance needed to manage complex recovery and demolition programs.
Other Northwest Iowa FEMA Projects
Other Northwest Iowa projects included in the FEMA announcement include:
- Lyon County — $652,608.29 for building interior repair or replacement tied to the 2024 severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes.
- City of Cherokee — $331,200 for pipe repair or replacement and another $210,739.07 for repairs or replacement of docks, equipment, park buildings, and tables damaged during the 2024 severe storms and flooding.
- City of Spencer — $573,691.05 for emergency measures intended to reduce immediate threats to public health, safety, and property following the 2024 storms and flooding.
- Clay County Secondary Roads — $101,562.59 for costs associated with managing FEMA Public Assistance grants tied to 2024 storm recovery efforts.
- Osceola County Secondary Roads — $178,272.03 for Public Assistance grant management costs connected to 2024 recovery projects.
- Spencer Municipal Utilities — $163,109.38 for FEMA Public Assistance grant management costs related to 2024 storm recovery work.
KIWA Staff Photo
