(DES MOINES) – On Friday, Gov. Terry E. Branstad signed a letter to be delivered to President Obama requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for five Iowa counties. The five counties in the request are Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux.
The Governor is making the request for Public Assistance Program funding in response to severe weather between April 9 and 11, 2013. The severe weather produced damaging winds, heavy rains, thunderstorms, freezing rain, ice and snow that caused damage to utility lines, poles, trees and vegetation.
A joint federal, state and local preliminary damage assessment of the five counties found the severe weather caused an estimated $6 million of damage that could be eligible under the Public Assistance Program. Public Assistance funds may be 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 storms.
The Governor’s letter to President Obama, including the damage estimates, is available at www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.
