Keep after FEMA for flood help in Iowa

By Sioux City Journal

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With Missouri River floodwaters receding, the work of assessing damage and cleaning up begins in earnest for affected families, landowners and businesses.

In Union County and three additional South Dakota counties and in Dakota County and eight additional Nebraska counties, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide individual assistance. For six impacted counties in Iowa, including Woodbury, the question of help from FEMA remains unanswered.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard and state government in South Dakota earned praise for reversing through appeal the original denial by FEMA of assistance for individual flood victims. The administration of Gov. Dave Heineman and state government in Nebraska is due credit for efforts to secure FEMA assistance for flood victims there (the original application in Nebraska was approved).

We understand the amount of assistance will vary from victim to victim and for most the aid will fall far short of full compensation, but something beats nothing.

In Iowa, the picture is unclear.

On Aug. 4, FEMA denied the state's application for assistance in six counties - Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills and Fremont - affected by Missouri River flooding this spring and summer. Gov. Terry Branstad promised an appeal. On Aug. 12, the state requested an extension to Nov. 15 of the normal 30-day appeal window to allow for the end of flood conditions and the most complete picture of damages possible.

“I intend to appeal this issue with FEMA based on the simple facts that the flood is still occurring and as the waters slowly recede, new damages will be revealed which will have further impacts to Iowans already fighting through this unprecedented flooding event,” Branstad said in response to the FEMA denial.

In all honesty, we have concerns about what appears to be a slow pace for securing federal assistance to Iowa flood victims.

In vigilant, aggressive - and expeditious - fashion, state officials in Iowa should pull out all stops in making a convincing case for why western Iowa Missouri River flood victims deserve the same kind of help as victims in South Dakota and Nebraska.