WASHINGTON, D.C. – Governor Terry E. Branstad on 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.