DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Wednesday, issued a disaster proclamation for Fremont, Harrison, Mills, and Pottawattamie counties as a result of renewed flooding along the Missouri River. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the flooding and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those four counties. The proclamation also waives certain competitive bidding requirements for the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) in order to conduct emergency repairs or restoration work to flood-impacted roadways.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

The proclamation temporarily suspends the DOT’s competitive bidding requirements for emergency construction, repairs, or improvements of roadways or bridges in order to restore safe and adequate transportation to the disaster-impacted counties. Under this proclamation the cost of the necessary work must exceed $1 million. Iowa residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.