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Governor Branstad requests Presidential Disaster Declaration

News

July 22nd, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Wednesday, signed a letter to be delivered to President Obama requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 19 Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from damaging winds, tornadoes,
heavy rains, hail and thunderstorms from June 20-25, 2015.

The counties included in this request are: Allamakee, Appanoose, Butler, Clayton,
Dallas, Davis, Des Moines, Guthrie, Howard, Jefferson, Lee, Lucas, Marion, Mitchell, Monroe, Warren, Wayne, Winneshiek and Wright.

The governor requested funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s
Public Assistance Program, which is used to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may
include roads, bridges, culverts and other public facilities, or to cover costs of
emergency work during, and debris removal after, the storms. A joint federal, state
and local preliminary damage assessment of the 19 counties found the severe weather
caused an estimated $5.1 million worth of damage that could be eligible under the
Public Assistance Program.

The governor also requested funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the
entire state.