Branstad declares six new counties disaster areas

(DES MOINES) - The office of Gov. Terry  E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) and other state and federal agencies, are working closely with local emergency management agencies to assist communities in preparing for and responding to flooding.

The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Johnston has been activated to enable agencies to coordinate response activities. A Joint Information Center has been established at the SEOC.

Governor Branstad issues disaster proclamation for six counties

Today, Governor Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for six additional counties in response to the recent storms and flooding.

The Governor declared a disaster in: Buchanan, Clay, Clayton, Greene, Henry and Story counties. In addition, the Governor activated the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for Buchanan, Clay, Henry and Story counties.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,060, for a family of three.

Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available at the "Disaster Assistance" link on the Iowa Department of Human Services website: www.dhs.iowa.gov.  Applications must be received within 45 days of the date of proclamation.

Counties that had previously received Governor's proclamations are listed below.

State Response Summary

Governor's Office

o   Disaster Emergency Proclamations

• Benton
• Black Hawk*
• Buchanan*
• Buena Vista*
• Butler*
• Cherokee*
• Clay*
• Clayton
• Delaware*
• Floyd*
• Greene
• Grundy*
• Henry*
• Ida
• Iowa*
• Jasper*
• Johnson*
• Linn*
• Louisa
• Lyon
• Mahaska
• Marshall*
• Mitchell*
• Plymouth*
• Poweshiek*
• Sioux*
• Story*
• Tama*
• Wapello*
• Wright*
  * State Individual Assistance Program

o   The Office of Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds today launched www.IowaFloodCentral.tumblr.com in conjunction with HSEMD to give Iowans a resource for up-to-date Iowa flood information. This is the first Tumblr established and utilized by the Iowa governor's office. Press releases regarding flood-affected counties will still be posted on the governor's website (governor.iowa.gov) and information regarding disaster readiness and assistance will still be available through HSEMD's website (homelandsecurity.iowa.gov). The Iowa Flood Central page will act as an information aggregator of flood-related content from Iowa state agencies, news reports and eyewitness accounts from Iowans wishing to submit pictures and videos of local flooding.

Homeland Security and Emergency Management

o Deployed pump resources to Benton, Butler, Cherokee, Jasper, Louisa, Mahaska, Marshall and Butler counties. 

o Traffic barricades to Buena Vista, Cherokee and Tama.

o Sandbags and poly to Benton, Louisa and Mitchell.

o Bottled water was delivered to New Sharon in Mahaska County and Galva in Ida County. The Iowa Disaster Human Resource Council coordinated the delivery of water to Galva with the Convoy of Hope.

o Sioux City Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)/Swift Water Rescue team is being staged in the Waterloo area so they are able to quickly respond to any needs in eastern Iowa. The Cedar Rapids USAR/Swift Water Rescue team is also on standby for quick response if needed.

o   To view actions that are being taken by state agencies in impacted counties, visit the HSEMD website at www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.

Iowa National Guard

o The Iowa National Guard has sent two liaison officers to the Johnson County EOC. 

o   Incident Awareness Assessment teams are being sent to affected river basins in southeast Iowa to increase situational awareness.

Department of Transportation

o   Numerous road closures on state and local highways and roads.  For more information on road closures, visit www.511ia.org, or call 5-1-1 or 1-800-288-1047.

The Department is transporting flood-fighting resources to various locations in the state.

o   The Department is providing staging locations for resources.

Department of Human Services

o   The Department is administering the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program.  http://www.dhs.state.ia.us/Consumers/Assistance_Programs/CashAssistance/DisasterAssistance/StormHelp.html

Department of Natural Resources

o   Information on private wells during times of flooding can be found at http://www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryWater/PrivateWellProgram.aspx

o   The Department is actively monitoring water treatment and sewage treatment facilities.

o   Field staff is assisting in numerous counties.

Department of Public Health

o   The Department has established a website addressing health issues during flooding at http://www.idph.state.ia.us/EmergencyResponse/Flooding

Department of Corrections

o   The Department has provided inmate sandbagging assistance out of the Iowa Medical Classification Center.

o   Inmates will provide debris removal assistance in the City of Kellogg.

Department of Public Safety

o   The State Fire Marshal is providing building inspectors in Cherokee.

For more information 

www.IowaFloodCentral.tumblr.com

governor.iowa.gov

www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. - Dozens of personnel from Civil Air Patrol's Texas Wing remain on duty in Moore, Okla., performing photo damage assessment of homes, public buildings and businesses more than a week after a twister ripped through the town of about 45,000 residents.

"Texas Wing has been absolutely monumental in us completing the mission that FEMA has given us," said Capt. Rick Rutledge, public affairs officer for CAP's Oklahoma Wing. "They were able to send us members almost immediately after the tornado struck. We've had Texas Wing boots on the ground literally in less than 24 hours."

The EF-5 twister mowed its destructive path through Moore May 20, killing seven students when it demolished Plaza Towers Elementary School. Moore is located in the central part of the state and is considered part of Oklahoma City's metropolitan area. The area is known as "Tornado Alley."

CAP's role in the recovery phase involves detailing the destruction from both ground and air for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"We're literally having to send teams to each and every house and business that's been damaged. From the air side, we've been able to provide FEMA with high-definition photographs for the entire 17-mile track of the tornado," Rutledge said.

An estimated 80 CAP air and ground team members ? many of them teenage cadets ? from Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas are augmenting 450 FEMA personnel who, by Memorial Day, had delivered 43,000 meals and 150,000 liters of water, along with thousands of cots, blankets and other comfort items. FEMA officials say 4,200 people have applied for disaster assistance. The agency has approved an estimated $3.4 million in emergency cash payments to victims of the tornado.

"Texas Wing is honored to have the opportunity to serve in the support mission for the Moore, Okla., tornado," said Col. Brooks Cima, Texas Wing commander.

Cima says approximately 30 Texas Wing members are in Oklahoma, providing air and ground communications and mission support in addition to performing damage assessment. She said CAP wings have a long tradition of supporting each other during emergencies.

"Oklahoma Wing has supported Texas when we've suffered from hurricanes," said Cima. "We owe them that same loyalty."

President Barack Obama toured the town over the Memorial Day Weekend to offer encouragement to Moore's citizens, thank first responders, survey the damage, and assure state and local officials that federal aid would be swift and long-term.

Moore previously suffered extensive damage from tornados on Oct. 4, 1998; May 3, 1999, May 8, 2003; and May 10, 2012. The 1999 twister was at the time considered the costliest in U.S. history.

Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization chartered by Congress in 1941 with a 501(c)3 designation and pre-dates the Air Force. CAP consists of 61,000 unpaid professional members nationwide, and operates a fleet of 550 aircraft. CAP, in its Air Force auxiliary role, performs 90 percent of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC) and is credited by the AFRCC with saving an average of 80 lives annually. Its unpaid professionals also perform homeland security, disaster relief and drug interdiction missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. The members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to more than 26,000 young people currently participating in the CAP cadet programs. CAP is a force multiplier to the Air Force CAP received the World Peace Prize in 2011 and has been performing missions for America for 71 years. CAP also participates in Wreaths Across America, an initiative to remember, honor and teach about the sacrifices of U.S. military veterans.

The Salvation Army is on the ground in Moore, Oklahoma with multiple canteens and personnel coordinating with Local and State Emergency Management to serve first responders and those affected by the tornado. We continue to provide service to hard hit areas from Tuesdays' storms which include Shawnee - multiple sites, Carney area, and Cleveland County.

Meals and hydration are being provided for first responders and those affected.   Major Steve Morris, Arkansas-Oklahoma Divisional Commander has been driving around the affected area.    Major Morris states "The devastation is far reaching both in human life, property and livestock loss.  The Salvation Army is honored to serve and provide sustenance to first responders involved in search and rescue, coordination efforts and more.  And, of course, all survivors will be provided spiritual and emotional care."

Canteens involved in the response from Oklahoma include Central Oklahoma Area Command (Oklahoma City), Ardmore, Enid, Lawton, McAlester and Muskogee.  Also, disaster response teams from Pine Bluff, Jonesboro and Hot Springs, Arkansas are en route to the Oklahoma City metropolitan area to assist in response.  Personnel from across the division are also traveling to the area to form a Divisional Incident Command Team (which helps coordinate the overall response for The Salvation Army).  Central Oklahoma Area Command has established a local Incident Command team for response.

The Salvation Army is ready to provide the services mentioned above for as long as we are needed.  Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available.  Please follow us at  http://centralusa.salvationarmy.org, www.twitter.com/SalArmyAOKEDS, www.twitter.com/CindyFullerOKC, www.twitter.com/SalArmyAOK  and www.facebook.com/SalArmyAOK for additional information.

Cash donations allow The Salvation Army to purchase product to quickly and efficiently meet the most urgent needs of disaster victims.  When possible, the purchases are made near the disaster site to stimulate the local economy and ensure quicker delivery.It is easy to give to The Salvation Army:

· By phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

· Online at www.salvationarmyusa.org

· By mail:

The Salvation Army - Disaster Relief

P.O. BOX 2536

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Please make checks payable to "The Salvation Army" and clearly marked "May 2013 Oklahoma Tornadoes."

Text To Give:  You can also text the word "STORM" to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word "Yes."*

Your donations make a real difference.

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.

• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies

• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster.

• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours

• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day Volunteers

The Salvation Army recruits and deploys disaster workers through its local Salvation Army units. To be trained as a disaster worker:

- Call the Quad Cities Salvation Army at 563-271-7933 to be added to the list for the next training.

The Salvation Army deploys trained disaster workers who have completed the 8-hour training course. A standard deployment is two weeks, including twelve working days and two travel days.   

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Leads Iowa House delegation response to April storm damage

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack, along with the entire Iowa Congressional delegation, called on President Obama to approve Governor Terry Branstad's request for a disaster declaration for 19 Iowa counties.  The declaration would assist counties that suffered significant damage caused by severe weather in late April.  If granted, the declaration would make these areas eligible for Public Assistance.

"I have toured and seen firsthand the damage that was caused by the severe storms and flooding that hit Iowa last month.  I call on the President to swiftly approve the Governor's request so communities that were affected can begin the recovery process and get the help they need."

Specifically, the counties of Appanoose, Cedar, Clinton, Davis, Decatur, Des Moines, Iowa, Johnson, Keokuk, Lee, Lucas, Marion, Monroe, Muscatine, Ringgold, Van Buren, Wapello, Warren and Wayne are included in this request.

A copy of the letter can be found here.