Slammed with severe weather that has claimed the lives of dozens of people since May 25, Iowans are taking it one day at a time after killer tornados and ravaging floods have forced nearly 40,000 people to evacuate their homes.
For the first time in 15 years, water covered the basement floor of my rural Butler County home. It paled in comparison to town residents in nearby New Hartford being forced to evacuate as floodwaters rose on June 8. Even so, these events only foreshadowed the worst flooding yet to come.
Nearly 13 million sandbags were filled and tiered to keep floodwaters at bay. Unfortunately, man-made levees and man-powered sand-bagging weren’t enough to rebuff Mother Nature. Overwhelming devastation caused by overflowing rivers flooded farm fields, towns and cities, business districts and residential areas from Mason City to Iowa City to Oakville and Burlington. The natural disasters have caused immeasurable heartache and harm to farmers, families, displaced workers, homeowners and small business owners across Iowa.
The mounting financial burden needed to recover and rebuild from such extraordinary events may seem insurmountable to some people as they return to their damaged homes and businesses.
The government’s primary responsibility is to ensure the public safety and welfare of its citizens. As a federal lawmaker, I’m exploring every possible legislative avenue to deliver expedited disaster relief assistance as efficiently and effectively as possible.
I’ve had the opportunity to meet with flood victims in shelters, witness hard-working volunteers and discuss rebuilding needs with local, state and federal officials.
Iowans will recall the historic floods of 1993. Until I observed first-hand the flooded countryside and urban areas swamped by the 2008 floods, it seemed impossible to believe record damages could be even worse just 15 years later. In fact, some areas of Iowa exceeded 500-year flood levels. Visits throughout Eastern Iowa underscored the widespread damages across the state.
With my full support, the President has approved federal disaster declarations for nearly all of the state declared disaster counties that will open up a federal funding stream that will help flood victims and communities with expensive and hazardous clean-up and recovery efforts.
Long-term resources needed to rebuild damaged personal property and public infrastructure systems, including bridges, roads, sewage and water treatment facilities will climb well into the billions.
I encourage all flood victims to apply for federal disaster relief. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration have opened disaster relief centers in local communities to register flood victims and answer questions face-to-face. The good news is it seems lessons have been learned from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The communication and coordination of services seem to have improved.
As the flood waters slowly recede throughout the Midwest and the national media moves on to the next big headline, I’ll continue working hard in Washington to ensure Iowa’s recovery needs don’t become yesterday’s news. That includes clearing administrative hurdles to help Iowa obtain disaster relief as efficiently as possible; conducting oversight of federal agencies to ensure recovery assistance is well-coordinated and communicated to flood victims; and, targeting federal resources, including tax incentives, low-interest loans and grants to help homeowners, workers and employers get back up on their feet.
As I’ve shared the compelling stories of loss and devastation with my fellow lawmakers in Washington, I take pride in the resiliency and tremendous display of neighbor helping neighbor. Emergency responders, public works crews, neighbors, Red Cross volunteers, members of the National Guard, and organizers from churches of all denominations have planted themselves in Iowa’s flood-ravaged cities and farm communities to pitch in. The road to recovery certainly will have detours and setbacks along the route. But the can-do attitude and spirit of fellowship that are among Iowa’s greatest treasures will light the path to a better and brighter future.