Flood buyout funds approved for Cedar Rapids, other cities

Cedar Rapids and other Iowa communities will be receiving $150 million in federal funds for the purchase of 1,352 homes damaged in the historic floods of 2008.

The funds, announced Friday by Gov. Chet Culver, are the first round of $517 million in federal assistance first announced in June by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Community Development Block Grant funds will go to 20 cities and counties to cover homes not eligible for FEMA buyouts.

The first round of funding covers homes in the 100-year flood plain, or pose a health and safety concern to the community, or have been determined to be substantially damaged. The remaining property owners will need to provide further justification for buyout if they are in the 500-year flood plain and do not pose a health and safety concern or have not been substantially damaged.

That process, which is required by HUD, will begin as soon as possible, the governor's office said.

The funds are going to:

• Cedar Rapids -- 852 properties, $95,474,137
• Oakville – 124 properties, $7,929,015
• Cedar Falls – 101 properties, $10,259,180
• Mason City – 71 properties, $8,517,455
• Iowa City – 52 properties, $11,665,530
• Louisa County (Rural Oakville) – 32 properties, $3,322,951
• Waverly – 28 properties, $3,757,234
• Des Moines – 19 properties, $815,460
• Davenport – 18 properties, $2,213,380
• Des Moines County – 16 properties, $1,953,030
• Dyersville – 10 properties, $1,100,000
• Johnson County -- 8 properties, $1,413,308
• Olin -- 7 properties, $490,924
• Waterloo -- 4 properties, $261,180
• Coralville -- 3 properties, $320,958
• Blackhawk County -- 2 properties, $323,719
• Cedar County -- 2 properties, $104,579
• Muscatine County -- 1 properties, $228,769
• LaPorte City -- 1 properties, $125,060
• Eddyville -- 1 properties, $40,453
• Total number of properties approved: 1,352
• Total funds approved: $150,316,322