FEMA has denied a second appeal from the University of Iowa for funding to replace its flooded Museum of Art. The museum was damaged in the 2008 flooding in Iowa City and university officials had told FEMA the building could not be used to hold art as the school could not obtain insurance since this was the second time the building has been flooded.
FEMA regulations say a building is eligible to be replaced if it is not feasible to repair it to function at the same level as it had prior to the disaster. But in this case, FEMA says the regulations do not apply since the decision to not issue insurance was made by private companies.
Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Administrator says the state will work with the university to evaluate the options for replacing the building.