Northwest Iowa (RI) – Communities in northwest Iowa are waiting for FEMA to approve buyouts for properties that were damaged by flooding in the summer of 2024.
Tom Van Maanen, the city administrator in Rock Valley, says his community is asking for federal funding to help buy and demolish just over 12 dozen homes.
Under FEMA’s buyout program for homes in flood zones, 75% of the funding comes from the federal government, the state provides 10% and 15% comes from the local community. Rock Valley is seeking $40 million from FEMA to support buying 145 homes, but FEMA asked for more information about a few of the properties.
State officials say Rock Valley, Rock Rapids, Hawarden, Spencer, Correctionville, and Sioux Rapids have all submitted buyout requests to FEMA. Estherville and Cherokee are still finalizing their applications and have until the end of the year to submit the paperwork to FEMA. Once a property is purchased under this program, the parcel becomes public land, and very little is allowed to be built there. The last time this happened in Rock Rapids ten years ago, the buyout properties mostly just became city-owned green space. One of the properties is now a community garden.
KIWA Staff Photo
