WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley said today that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has awarded funds totaling $12,678,794.68 to Iowa through the Public Assistance Grant program as the state continues its recovery from severe flooding in 2008.
“Iowans continue to show their resiliency after the devastating flood waters hit our state, but resources are still needed as Iowans strive to get back on their feet,” Grassley said. “These funds will help reimburse some of the repair costs for damages incurred during the 2008 flooding.”
FEMA obligates the funding for the projects below to the state of Iowa. It’s the state’s responsibility to use these funds to reimburse eligible sub-grantees after the review process and upon receipt of appropriate documentation. The eligible sub-grantees are shown below.
• Cedar Rapids Community School District’s Nutritional Warehouse will receive $1,094,926.41 to reimburse damaged contents inside the warehouse damaged by severe flooding.
• Cedar Rapids Water Pollution Facility will receive $5,194,196.89 to reimburse for costs for architectural and building support which was damaged by severe flooding.
• 4th Avenue Parkade in Cedar Rapids will receive $1,075,011.30 to reimburse for costs to repair the flood damaged parkade to its pre-disaster condition.
• Ground Transportation Center Bus Terminal in Cedar Rapids will receive $1,332,852.30 to reimburse for costs to repair the flood damaged terminal to its pre-disaster condition.
• Mays Island Parkade in Cedar Rapids will receive $1,571,125.50 to reimburse for costs to repair the parkade, which was completely submerged by floodwater, to its pre-disaster condition.
• University of Iowa in Iowa City will receive $2,410,682.28 to reimburse for costs associated with deploying sandbags, barricades, pumping equipment and force account labor to protect their facilities from floodwaters as well as air sampling and mold assessments on campus buildings to evaluate employee exposures.
The Public Assistance Grant program provides assistance to State, Tribal and local governments, and certain types of Private Nonprofit organizations so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President.
Thanks, in part, to the efforts of the Iowa congressional delegation, FEMA pays for 90 percent of the costs associated with the Public Assistance project shown above. The delegation sent several letters requesting the federal government take another look at the disaster level to ensure Iowa communities got the assistance they were entitled.