Branstad will appeal to Obama personally for western Iowa disaster declaration

Gov. Terry Branstad plans to personally ask Barack Obama to approve his request for a presidential disaster declaration for western Iowa communities being damaged by Missouri River flooding when the president visits Iowa Tuesday.

Today, Branstad will join Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Gen. Derek Hill and U.S. Rep. Steve King for an aerial tour of the flood-affected areas along the Missouri River.

They will visit with local officials and hold press conferences in Sioux City and Council Bluffs regarding flood damage, and prevention efforts, along the Missouri River. Then they will conduct an aerial surveillance of the flood-affected areas while traveling from Sioux City to Council Bluffs.

“We're going to get first-hand view of how things are going,” he said.

Branstad said the damage has already run into “tens of millions of dollars” and he expects it will continue to climb.

“It's going to be a long challenge … a long flood fight,” he said at his Monday morning news conference at the Capitol.

Branstad, who has spoken to the governors of all of the Missouri River Basin states, said Montana's governor told him the snowpack in that state was 380 percent of normal and there still are five to six feet of snow at some elevations.

“It's going to be a very critical sit for a long time,” he said.

Branstad will meet with Obama during the president's visit to the Alcoa Works in Bettendorf. The presidential disaster declaration is at the top of his list of questions for the president.

“We're very hopeful (an announcement) will come in the next few days,” Branstad said. “That's important for communities like Hamburg, Council Bluffs and Sioux City, and virtually all the communities along the Missouri River that have expended a lot of money just to protect themselves. They should be eligible for 80 percent reimbursement.”

“The sooner the better,” Branstad said. “It would give people a sense of greater assurance and security that what they are doing at the local level is getting federal support as well as the state support they need.”

A presidential major disaster declaration for public assistance puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by state programs, and designed to help public entities and select non-profits. Public Assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools.