FEMA Announces Federal Disaster Aid For Iowa

WASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for Iowa to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms during the period of February 23 to March 2, 2007.

FEMA Director David Paulison said federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storms in the counties of Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Calhoun, Cedar, Chickasaw, Clinton, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Howard, Humboldt, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Marion, Marshall, Mitchell, Muscatine, Pocahontas, Poweshiek, Story, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello, Washington, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Worth, and Wright.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures in statewide.

Paulison named Carlos Mitchell the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Mitchell said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.