Keokuk, IA – Iowa residents can start applying for financial help in dealing with last month's severe winter weather. After the ice storm hit, the state set up a $1,000,000 assistance program. Emergency Management Coordinator, Steve Cirinna, says hundreds of households in Lee County could qualify for up to $3,300 in state aid. Residents could be reimbursed for home or vehicle repairs, power restoration, damage to appliances or food, water heater replacement, and lodging expenses. The applications are available through the Iowa Department of Human Services. They can be picked up at a DHS office, online, or at Cirinna's office in Fort Madison's city hall.
Meanwhile, almost all of Lee County has regained power after last month's ice storm. Cirinna says just a handful of rural homes are still without power, due primarily to extensive damage and limited access. He says the next challenge for residents is clean-up. At its peak, Cirinna says the storm left roughly 70% of Lee County in the dark.