The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied the governor’s request of federal assistance for individuals impacted by tornadoes that hit Marshall and Polk Counties this summer.
Tornadoes tore through Marshall and Polk Counties on July 19. FEMA officials say the magnitude of the damage was not severe enough to warrant federal aid to homeowners, renters and business owners in the two counties.
FEMA has the authority to provide individual assistance grants. The money may be used to cover the expense of replacing damaged or destroyed property or even medical bills. Governor Reynolds announced this afternoon she’ll meet with state and local officials to come up with updated damage assessments and ask FEMA to reconsider.
Governor Reynolds is also appealing a previous FEMA decision that denied individual assistance to Iowans hit by flash flooding and severe weather in June. This past Wednesday, state and local officials in Marshall, Lee, Marion and Van Buren Counties were notified they will get federal public assistance dollars to help defray the costs of dealing with the tornadoes and severe weather than struck July 19.