We’re only six months into the year, but already 2007 is a record-breaker for disasters in Iowa. Iowa Emergency Management Director David Miller says the state has had three presidential disaster declarations since February.
Miller calls the situation “unusual” and, in fact, it’s the most presidential disaster declarations Iowa has had in a single year. Millers says the declarations were issued for the late winter ice and snow storms and spring flooding. The federal disaster payments, so far, have topped 65-million dollars.
“The damages we’ve had from these disasters pale in comparison to the 1993 floods,” Miller says, “that was over a two-billion dollar disaster.” Miller says he and other state officials may request another presidential disaster declaration soon – for the tornado that struck Louisa and Muscatine counties last Friday.