Crew working on power lines in Marshalltown. (Alliant Energy photo)
Marshalltown city leaders were disappointed two years ago when a request for individual assistance to FEMA to help with tornado recovery was denied.
Mayor Joel Greer wasn’t holding out hope for help this time after his city was hit hard again by the derecho. But the approval did come through for Marshall County — and he had this reaction. “Hallelujah, there is a FEMA God. It was a surprise because after the tornado we were disappointed, not to say we had our expectations up that high,” Greer says, “but this time I had been posting I wasn’t all that optimistic about it.”
With the individual federal assistance available, Greer says it will keep the post tornado, and now post derecho momentum, for the rebuilding and renovation of Marshalltown. “Derecho was kind of a time out for us. We were still right in the middle of the recovery from the tornado, it takes five to ten years. Another analogy would be another bump on the road, but it’s going to be a smaller bump, cause there will be some help for the individual owners and renters,” according to Greer.
Greer says he will be touching base with his mayoral counterpart in Cedar Rapids to find out what has been working or not working in Linn County. Linn County was approved for individual assistance the day after the derecho.
(By, Ken Huge KFJB, Marshalltown)