Nearly 3,000 have applied for FEMA aid

An update on Iowans seeking help with their property-damage and losses from spring storms from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA’s Lew Wood says many have called the toll-free government number to begin the application process. So far, 27-hundred-88 people throughout the designated counties in Iowa have applied for assistance, calling 800-621-3362. And many are well past the application stage. A total of four-point-seven million dollars has already been approved for sending the applicants who qualify. When the money comes, Wood says it offers a few choices for Iowans whose lives have been disrupted and may not want to watch their storm-damaged mailbox for a check to arrive. FEMA sends electronic deposits, if you request it and provide a bank-account and routing number — otherwise it’s still a check that comes in the mail. Wood says that direct deposit into your account is the safest way to handle the money. There are still six disaster recovery centers open — in Clayton, Buchanan, Cerro Gordo, Black Hawk, Marshall, and Dallas counties.