(Glenwood, Iowa – AP) Getting disaster aid approved and making sure it gets to the people affected by this spring’s flooding is a priority for area senators. The bureaucratic rules that govern disaster aid spending require an analysis of the costs and benefits of repair projects.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa says that means money approved for projects in rural areas may be diverted because the property values are lower than in cities.
Ernst and other senators at a hearing about this spring’s flooding Wednesday said they will work to change that formula.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst farms near the Missouri River, but his land wasn’t flooded. Hurst said the lessons from this flooding should lead to changes about where levees are built and how the river is managed.