(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa community devastated by historic flooding two years ago is getting 22 million dollars from FEMA to buy out 104 homes. Rock Valley City Manager Tom Van Maanen first requested the funding in December 2024 and says he’s relieved to finally have an answer.
“When we see the pain of people who aren’t able to move on with the flood until their previous property has been resolved, just being able to share that message, ‘Hey, it’s obligated, we will be moving forward shortly. Your relief is finally here.’ It’s brought a lot of energy back into our whole process,” Van Maanen says.
Van Maanen admits the process was frustrating for homeowners, and at times for city leaders, but says the FEMA home buyout program is not designed to provide immediate disaster relief. “We’re finally in a position to help the people that were so devastated by the flooding back in 2024, so we’re really hitting the ground running,” he says.
He says the next few weeks will be spent finishing paperwork before demolition of the properties can begin. Rock Valley originally planned to buy out 147 properties, but some owners have already rebuilt their homes or sold them.
FEMA awarded Rock Valley three-point-five million dollars more to help pay for cleanup and repairs.
