Unless you've survived a natural disaster, it's hard to imagine the devastation and despair that 500-year-flood waters last summer have brought to Eastern Iowa residents, neighborhoods and businesses.
Last May, I watched from my farmhouse in Butler County when a violent spring storm turned into a deadly tornado, devastating the neighboring town of Parkersburg and killing two residents in my hometown of New Hartford.
Just a few weeks later, Mother Nature returned in full force, unleashing floodwaters that overflowed riverbanks, swamping the countryside and city streets, including hard-hit Waterloo, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.
One year later, the recovery and rebuilding efforts continue. With the help of friends, neighbors and good Samaritans lending a hand to those in need, the victims of the historic floods and fatal tornados have spent the last 12 months working to get back up on their feet and put their lives back together.
The raging floodwaters displaced tens of thousands of Iowans from their homes, forcing families to find temporary shelter, grieve the loss of irreplaceable family heirlooms and assume unforeseen financial burdens. When the floodwaters began to recede, the heartache and hurt grew as families returned to flood-damaged homes mired in mud, muck and mold.
Hometown heroes emerged as emergency responders rushed in to assist victims, fill sandbags and provide public safety. Relief workers and volunteers are still on the scene as small business owners, homeowners and farm families wade through thickets of insurance claims, government programs and bank loans to help rebuild their lives.
The recession has made it even harder to secure private investment to jump-start redevelopment in urban areas in need of affordable housing and for businesses to spring back to prosperity.
As Iowa's senior U.S. Senator, I've worked closely with Iowa's congressional delegation to secure federal assistance and cut through the red tape that too often bogs down relief dollars from reaching those in need of disaster assistance. In the last year, federal dollars have been used to help rebuild housing and public infrastructure, assist local fire and police departments, mitigate future flooding, create jobs and spark business recovery. As Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, I successfully pushed Congress to pass federal tax relief for Iowans similar to the incentives approved for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
There's a lot left to do, and people are still working to pull themselves out of the mess that Mother Nature left. Things will probably never again be normal, but we're going to keep the pressure on to see that the federal government does what it can to help the people of Iowa get through this tragedy.
On the one-year anniversary of Iowa's historic floods and deadly tornados, civic leaders, citizens, property and small business owners continue to rebuild and restore their communities. Unfortunately, there's no shortcut on the road to recovery. The board of regents in May approved demolition and relocation of the theater complex in Iowa City. City leaders in Cedar Rapids will hold public meetings to gather community input about the future of the National Czech & Slovak Museum.
In June, the USDA announced $24 million in funding to develop floodplain easements on 2,400 acres of farmland across 21 counties. Farmers whose property has been flooded at least twice in the last 10 years were eligible to apply. The flood prevention dollars will help improve water quality, restore wildlife habitat and minimize need for future disaster assistance.
Thinking back to my visits of the flood-damaged areas last summer, I will never forget the hurt I saw in people's eyes. Thanks to the selfless acts of sacrifice by first responders, volunteers and members of the National Guard, Iowa's hometown heroes gave hope to those who believed all hope was lost. Local schools and churches opened their doors to victims in need of shelter, hot meals, supplies and clothing.
As we commemorate the one-year anniversary of the natural disasters of 2008, let's remember the selflessness of Iowans pulling together last summer to save lives, livestock and livelihoods. I salute the volunteers, relief workers and hometown heroes who have lifted hammer and nails to rebuild homes and businesses these last 12 months.
Recently, I read about a retired farmer who works as a night chaplain at Allen Hospital in Waterloo. He has spent countless hours helping rural families in Cedar Valley cope with their loss. In the article, he recalled a family who returned to their flood-ravaged house in which four generations had called home. Family members gathered pieces of wood from their destroyed home and built a grandfather clock. With hammer and nails, their story of resilience in times of hardship illuminates the hope and can-do spirit of the people who make Iowa a great place to call home.