The federal government will help southeast Iowa recover from this summer’s flooding.
A Presidential Disaster Declaration was approved for 22 counties. The list includes Des Moines and Lee Counties.
Des Moines County Emergency Management Coordinator Gina Hardin said the declaration allows local governments to be reimbursed for up to 85% of the cost of various expenses by FEMA and by Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
“This could include the cost of filling sandbags and any protective measures that they have done, and then also debris removal, removing the sandbags and taking down the HESCO barriers.”
Hardin said the process should get underway next week, beginning with meetings between local, state and federal leaders.
The declaration also means more money is now available, statewide, for prevention efforts such as safe rooms or flood buy-outs.
Iowa has now received three declarations this year and a total of 21 since 2007.
