Federal Disaster Declarations sought for 44 more counties

Iowa’s chief of Emergency Management says she’s pleased with relief efforts across Iowa so far to help restore order after the recent bouts with severe weather and flooding. While President Bush has declared 14 counties in Iowa as disaster areas, Ellen Gordon says more federal help may soon be on the way. Gordon says she’s requested that 44 more counties be added to the presidential declaration list but hasn’t yet heard a response. She says she’s “hopeful that they will be because that will free up the disaster recovery programs for many more Iowans.” While many hundreds of Iowans were impacted by the recent storms and flooding, Gordon says not everyone has gotten the help they need yet.Gordon says people who have damage and haven’t yet gotten relief need to call their local emergency management office or the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 800-621-FEMA.