DES MOINES – Earlier this week, Gov. Kim Reynolds formally requested a Secretarial Disaster Designation from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue for 57 Iowa counties impacted by the August derecho. This designation, which is in addition to the President’s disaster designation, would allow Iowa producers to access USDA disaster programs.
“The derecho storm dealt another gut punch to Iowa farmers, wiping out whole fields, demolishing grain bins and other farm buildings,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Iowa farmers serve as a critical anchor for the entire world’s food supply and it’s critical they have our support. I spoke with Sec. Perdue earlier this week and regularly engage with the Trump Administration to ensure their voices are heard as we continue to secure federal assistance.”
The August 10th derecho had severe winds in excess of 100 mph and swept across much of Iowa, causing widespread damage and power outages. USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) determined the storm touched 57 counties. Preliminary estimates are that 3.57 million acres of corn and 2.5 million acres of soybeans were severely damaged by the storm, with millions more acres affected to varying degrees.
If approved, a Secretarial Designation would enable Iowa producers in designated counties and all contiguous counties to immediately access low-interest Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. Various other USDA programs are contingent upon the designation as well.
The counties included in the request are: Adair, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Buchanan, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Cherokee, Clinton, Crawford, Dallas, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Madison, Mahaska, Marion, Marshall, Monona, Monroe, Muscatine, Plymouth, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Sac, Scott, Shelby, Story, Tama, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren, Washington, Webster, and Woodbury.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R) asked for $3.9 billion in federal aid on Sunday, and Trump tweeted that he had “Just approved (and fast) the FULL Emergency Declaration for the Great State of Iowa.”
But, in fact, he approved only about $45 million in aid to repair government buildings and utilities and remove debris from them. He did not fund assistance for homeowners or farmers. This appears to reflect the Republican conviction that the federal government has no role to play in providing a safety net for individuals.
More like a mighty roar of wind.