(Radio Iowa) – Residents of nine communities hit by historic flooding in northwest Iowa in 2024 are still waiting for FEMA to buyout 267 homes, totaling more than 53 million dollars. Almost half are in Rock Valley, but 41 are in Spencer where City Administrator Kevin Robinson says he’s frustrated.  “Every deadline that we’ve thrown out there when we think things would be accomplished seems to get moved farther out,” he says. Mayor Robinson, says FEMA has been good to work with, but the buyouts for more than 40 homes were requested more than a year ago.

“People continue to pay mortgages and property insurance on these properties, and so we’ve been fighting and advocating for them with the federal government and FEMA to get this done as fast as possible,” he says. FEMA spokesperson Michael Cappannari says the cost analysis continues, but approval takes time. “It never comes fast enough. But just know that we are doing everything we can to get these projects reviewed and approved as quickly as we can,” he says.

Cappannari says once the funding goes through, the homes will be torn down and replaced with green space, which could include parks and ballfields.