The office of Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) and other state and federal agencies, are working closely with local emergency management agencies to assist communities in preparing for and responding to flooding. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Johnston has been activated to enable agencies to coordinate response activities. A Joint Information Center has been established at the SEOC. Today (Saturday, Governor Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for 17 additional counties in response to the recent storms and flooding. Included in the declaration is Crawford, Monona and Sac Counties.

In addition, the Governor activated the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for Cedar, Chickasaw, Davis, Decatur and Monroe counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,060, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery.

The grant application and instructions are available at the “Disaster Assistance” link on the Iowa Department of Human Services website: www.dhs.iowa.gov. Applications must be received within 45 days of the date of proclamation. State, local and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials will begin conducting joint damage assessments on Monday. The damage assessments are expected to take several days to complete. The results will be used to determine if the amount of damage warrants Governor Branstad asking for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for the most recent flooding and severe storms.