Four more Iowa counties are being added to the list of those declared a disaster emergency by the governor due to severe weather and flooding. They are: Cherokee, Mahaska, Polk and Warren. They join ten other counties on the disaster list: Ringgold, Union, Taylor, Hancock, Wright, Franklin, Decatur, Marion, Monroe and Sioux.
Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge toured the storm and flood damage in Wright County on Monday afternoon. Judge says Clarion was deluged with rain last week, with a number of flooded homes, caved-in basements and other types of damage. She toured portions of Wright County prior to meeting with supporters in Mason City.
Judge says, “This is Iowa and we never know what Mother Nature is going to hand us but this part of the state, at least around Clarion, certainly did get more than its share.” Judge says state officials will be calculating the damage this week in counties declared state disaster areas in an effort to see if federal help will also be available. She says state damage assessment teams are out in counties working with residents to put a monetary figure with the losses.
Judge says there are thresholds those areas must meet to get the federal help and Judge doesn’t think there will be any issues in surpassing the needed levels in some areas. Judge, in her role as Lieutenant Governor, serves as Governor Chet Culver’s Homeland Security Advisor, responsible for overseeing all the state’s homeland security activities.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City