Howard joins Winneshiek for state disaster assistance

Howard - On March 21, Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with Senators Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking for an expedited Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for 57 counties that have been severely impacted by the recent flooding — especially along the Missouri River and other parts of the state.

Howard County was added to the list on Thursday. The request was sent in that day by Howard County Emergency Management Coordinator Darrell Knecht. 

He explained he keeps in close contact with Secondary Roads and Conservation during damaging weather events. Cities in the county are also eligible to submit damages. He is given the estimated dollar amounts of damage and submits them to the state. 

Each county has to accumulate $3.78 per capita in public infrastruture damage (PA) to be eligible for help. For Howard County that amounts to $36,159.48. This is for public infrastructure damage (PA). “This includes roads, bridges, parks, trails, water treatment, sewer treatment, city streets, etc. Howard County has turned in a total of $65,000.00 so far,” Knecht stated.

“This request must be made through local Emergency Management to Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management. So far we have been given a State Declaration. The State needs to have incurred $4,569,532.50 of damage within its boundaries of public infrastructure damage (PA) before it can request a Federal Disaster Declaration.” 

As of March 21, Gov. Reynolds has said the state has been impacted by $1.6 billion in damages, which is over triple the minimum needed to be called a federal disaster.

Once a state is given a Federal Disaster Declaration, this opens the State IA (Individual Assistance) program  (not FEMA) for individuals who may have received damage to their private property up to $5,000. This would include water heaters and furnaces. Detailed info for this program can be attained at:

Northeast Iowa Community Action

Patty Banks (Cresco) 563-547-4413

Karen Henry or David Boss (Decorah) 563-382-8436

Knecht said over the years it has been getting tougher for the State of Iowa to get an IA declaration. This is because some areas, which were eventually bought out by funds, have consistently had flooding. This leaves fewer dollar amounts eligible for grants. “This means the program is working by getting rid of problem areas year after year, but that makes less damage being reported,” the Emergency Management Coordinater stated.

 The $1.6 billion estimate given by Reynolds includes:

Agriculture $214,000,000

Public Assistance $77,417,455

Business (4,244 commercial parcels) $300,000,000

Homes with minor damage $417,000,000

Homes with major damage $64,000,000

USACE Levees (70 miles) $350,000,000

Non-Federal Levees (175 miles) $175,000,000

 

The governor requested funding under the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Individual Assistance Program for counties on or near the Missouri River.

She requested FEMA funds for the Public Assistance Program for the repair or replacement of public infrastructure, including roads and bridges for Howard and Winneshiek counties, as well as Adair, Allamakee, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dallas, Decatur, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Jasper, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, Mahaska, Marshall, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Osceola, Page, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Tama, Union, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, and Wright counties.

Knecht said local residents can call him at 563-547-9208 for more information if needed.