More Iowa flooding ahead after evacuations

When a family sheltering in place this weekend from record-breaking flooding in Northwest Iowa ran out of lifesaving seizure medication and insulin, state government officials and local agencies broke into action to deliver it.

Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Director Kelly Garcia said in a news conference Sunday the department was notified of the need through local emergency management. The agency worked with the Iowa State Patrol to find a pharmacist who could dispense the medications, who was busy sandbagging in town to block rising floodwaters.

“The trooper drove those medical items directly to the home in the middle of the night,” Garcia said. “That family is safe and secure now, because of that coordination and because of the spirit of Iowans.”

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It was one of many examples of first responders, state agencies and officials in other states coordinating evacuations and responses to flooding in Northwest Iowa that has left hundreds displaced from their homes and without power or access to running water.

Gov. Kim Reynolds submitted a request Sunday for a presidential disaster declaration to open up federal funding for counties affected by the flooding. More flooding is expected this week, as the water recedes into the Missouri River and more rain is expected.

More than 1,900 homes were affected, damaged or destroyed across at least 22 counties, Reynolds said Sunday. More than 1,000 residents had to shelter overnight in churches and other areas set up by nonprofits and state agencies, officials said.

“I can tell you the devastation is severe, and it’s widespread,” Reynolds said. “In almost every community impacted, the rivers crested several feet above record levels from the floods of 1993.”

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Ten water systems and 21 wastewater systems were damaged by the floods, Reynolds said.

Reynolds requests federal declaration

Reynolds has requested an expedited presidential disaster declaration, which would make available federal assistance for individuals and for governments and nonprofits. It is the third federal emergency declaration Reynolds has requested in less than two months, following May’s damaging tornadoes in Southwest and Central Iowa, which killed five people.

Reynolds is requesting public assistance — which allows governments and some nonprofits to access federal grants — for 22 counties, and for individual assistance in nine of those counties. Individual assistance allows residents who lost property or income because of the disaster to receive federal aid.

Reynolds has issued a state disaster proclamation for the same 22 counties, which opens up the state individual assistance program for residents of those counties. She said Sunday she expects that number to expand as the floodwaters move south.

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According to Reynolds’ disaster request, the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures is estimated to be more than $8 million. The cost of damage to roads and bridges, buildings, utilities and other sources has not been estimated.

The counties in her declaration are Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherokee, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Floyd, Hancock, Humboldt, Kossuth, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Woodbury, Worth and Wright.

The state also will request disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding, Garcia said. The program will allow families who aren’t usually covered by SNAP to receive those benefits, and allow residents to purchase hot, prepared meals with SNAP funds in affected counties.

More flooding on the way

The flooding likely isn’t over. As the floodwaters run into the Missouri River, waters will rise along the Western Iowa border, officials said.

And more rain is forecast across the state this week, increasing the chances of severe flooding elsewhere.

Iowa Department of Homeland Security Director John Benson said officials are also monitoring water levels and rain forecasts in Eastern Iowa, where water has already been rising in the Mississippi River. Benson is holding a meeting with emergency responders in both areas Monday, he said.

“This is a very serious flood right now that we’re in, and it’s not going to cease. It’s going to blossom across the state," Benson said.

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The rain the region received over the last week was about eight times the average, said Donna Dubberke, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Des Moines. Rainfall later in the week is expected to stay over the state for longer than usual, increasing the chances of flooding in other parts of the state.

The full impact of the upcoming rain isn’t certain, Dubberke said.

“There’s a lot of moving pieces here, a lot of things going on, and unfortunately just have to wait and see how the rain plays out and so we can know exactly how it’s going to impact the river system," she said.

How can I help with recovery?

State officials are working to set up ways for Iowans to donate money or supplies to the damaged Northwest Iowa region, Benson said. They also will set up pathways for people to volunteer.

“In the coming days we will be putting out information … in terms of what's the correct place, if I want to donate up into Sioux County, who can I talk to, who can I donate money to?” he said.

Benson said donating money, or volunteering time, is the most helpful way to assist the region, rather than donating goods.