$1.2 Million flood recovery assistance announced

A day after touring flood damage with FEMA officials, Governor Chet Culver and Congressman Dave Loebsack announced $1.2 million in federal and state to assisting the recovery effort of the Cedar Rapids School District.

The money is expected to be used to buy books, electronics, software, furniture, kitchen contents, custodial supplies and other items to replace the contents of an elementary school damaged by the 2008 flood.

Culver says the rebuilding effort is a top priority and he will continue to work with the federal government to make sure disaster recovery funds are found and distributed as soon as possible.

So far, the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have committed $724 million in funds to flood recovery efforts.

The June 2008 flood caused an estimated $6 billion in damage to Cedar Rapids, ranking it among the top five natural disasters in U.S. history.