Iowans that want to share their story related to the tornadoes and floods of 2008 can now do so through the state’s primary disaster recovery website. Tina Potthoff, with the Rebuild Iowa Office, says people can upload their photos and videos, which will be screened before they’re posted on-line.
The images could be used to help state officials in the battle for more federal funding. "If someone sends in a video or story, don’t be surprised if we contact you in return to see if we might get some additional details and even use the story…to just make the argument that Iowans are still in need at a federal level," Potthoff said.
The Rebuild Iowa website was launched last July. Potthoff says a lot of Iowans are clearly interested in sharing their experience living through the storms of last May and June.
"Once we sent out this press release, we already had people submitting their stories within a matter of minutes," Potthoff said. The RIO website is already connected to social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, allowing Iowans to view press releases, photos or other materials immediately after they are posted.