Governor Kim Reynolds meets with the media prior to a tour of flood damage in Des Moines.
Officials say it will take some time to gather the data necessary to seek federal assistance for parts of Iowa hit by spring and early summer storms.
Governor Kim Reynolds says the plan is to combine assessments of storm damage that happened from June 6-13 with the flood damage that happened from June 14-30.
“If we can tie the two together, that will increase our abilities to get a federal disaster proclamation issued that will help with some funding and additional resources,” Reynolds says.
On Monday afternoon Reynolds toured parts of central Iowa that were damaged after flash flooding this past weekend.
Reynolds posted a photo and note on Twitter, saying it was “absolutely heartbreaking” to witness a Des Moines woman’s return to her flooded out home. The governor says water damage “over the last couple of weeks” has hit other parts of Iowa, too.
“Tremendous collaboration, coordination — Iowans doing what Iowans always do and that’s step up and really help in times of disaster,” Reynolds says, “and it is definitely obvious.”
Yesterday afternoon, hundreds of flood victims lined up at a center in Des Moines designed as a “one stop shop” for assistance. It will reopen today (Tuesday). It’s the distribution site for Red Cross flood clean-up kits. Legal Aid will be there to provide help to renters and homeowners filing flood insurance claims. Polk County officials are offering vaccinations for people who’ve been in filthy flood water.
MidAmerican representatives will be there to schedule restoration of electric and gas service to flooded properties.