State flood help program in the works

Gov. Chet Culver announced today that his administration is crafting a new state assistance program designed to provide help in areas of housing, small businesses and clean-up needs for communities in eastern Iowa that sustained losses due to recent flooding problems.

Culver said the new program, called Iowans Helping Iowans, is “named to reflect the core values of Iowans: We help our neighbors who are victimized by natural disasters, and don't make them suffer alone.”

The new state effort will be designed to supplement federal individual assistance that will follow presidential disaster declarations for Iowa's counties. Currently, damage assessments are being conducted by the federal government in flood-affected areas to determine which counties will qualify for federal individual assistance.

Culver said state officials await the federal government's assessment of individual needs and the president's decision regarding the eligibility of counties for federal individual assistance.

In anticipation that some Iowa counties will be proclaimed as eligible for federal individual assistance, the governor said he has directed various state agencies to finalize details of the Iowans Helping Iowans -- a state-based assistance program that will be similar to the “Jumpstart” effort provided for individuals and businesses in communities that were affected by Iowa's historic natural disaster in 2008.

Brett Mills, director of the state Department of Economic Development, Iowa Finance Authority Director Joe O'Hern, Dick Oshlo, head of the state Department of Management, have been designed to spearhead the “fast-track development” of the Iowans Helping Iowans program criteria and the application requirements within the next few weeks, Culver said.

Specific program details will be announced once federal officials have completed damage assessments and designated counties where residents will be eligible for federal individual assistance, he said.

The governor noted that joint federal, state and local teams are further assessing damages from recent storms that caused the failure of the Lake Delhi dam and he expected those assessments would be completed by next week.

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