WASHINGTON DC (March 22, 2019) – Senator Charles "Chuck" Grassley of Iowa today asked President Donald Trump to promptly grant the request made by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for an expedited review of the major disaster-declaration request for 57 Iowa counties in response to severe storms and flooding which began March 12, 2019.
Grassley spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator Pete Gaynor urging expeditious approval of this much-needed federal disaster-declaration. Sen Grassley spoke with Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao on Wednesday regarding Iowa road conditions and damage.
In his request letter, Sen Grassley wrote that Gov Reynolds “determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and supplementary federal-assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.”
Severe storms and flooding caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property. The 57 counties included in this request for the Public Assistance Program are Adair, Allamakee, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dallas, Decatur, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Jasper, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, Mahaska, Marshall, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Osceola, Page, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Tama, Union, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, and Wright. Governor Reynold’s also requested the Individual Assistance Program for Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Ida, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Shelby, and Woodbury counties. A presidential declaration of a major disaster is necessary to trigger release of federal funds for assistance.
Grassley is providing Iowans with flood information and access to resources on his website at www.grassley.senate.gov/flooding.
The letter is available here and below.
March 21, 2019
The Honorable Donald J Trump
President of the United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr President:
I respectfully ask that you promptly grant the request made by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for an expedited review of the major disaster declaration for the State of Iowa as a result of severe storms and flooding which began March 12, 2019. This weather caused significant damage to public infrastructure and private property. The 57 counties included in the request are Adair, Allamakee, Audubon, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dallas, Decatur, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Fremont, Greene, Guthrie, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Howard, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Jasper, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, Mahaska, Marshall, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Osceola, Page, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie, Sac, Shelby, Sioux, Tama, Union, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, and Wright.
The Governor determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and supplementary federal-assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public-health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster.
Thank you for your prompt consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Charles E Grassley
United States Senator
