President Biden approves Iowa disaster declaration for Mississippi River flood damage

President Joe Biden on Friday approved a disaster declaration and relief for seven Iowa counties that sustained a combined estimated $6.3 million in damages from spring flooding along the Mississippi River.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds requested the major disaster declaration earlier this month. Rapid snow melt caused severe flooding in the seven Iowa counties between April 24 and May 13, resulting in significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.

Seven gauges measuring river height along the Iowa side of the river broke top five record crests.

The declaration makes available federal funding to state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain nonprofits on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by flooding in Allamakee, Clayton, Des Moines, Dubuque, Jackson, Lee, and Scott counties.

  Buy Photo

Federal funding is also available on a cost-share basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will coordinate federal recovery operations in the affected counties, according to a White House news release.

Money from FEMA’s public assistance program is used to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work and debris removal associated with severe weather.

In Scott County, Davenport, Bettendorf and Buffalo combined reported spending more than $1 million in emergency protective measures, such as sandbagging, HESCO barriers and operating pumps in response to the river flooding, according to the governor’s letter.

In Davenport, part of the intersection at River Drive and Brady Street caved in, the result of damage to a 24-inch diameter storm sewer pipe underneath the road and an 18-inch sanitary sewer manhole, according to Reynolds’ letter.

  Buy Photo

Flooding also swept away parts of Davenport’s Credit Island causeway, and the regional water pollution control plant, located in Davenport, lost energy production because of suspended waste hauling for about 12 days.

Floodwaters inundated the Princeton Wildlife Management Area, which the Iowa Department of Natural Resources manages, in Scott County. The river overtopped the main levee, washing about 3,000 linear feet of surface rock from the access road atop the levee, according to the governor.

Jackson County sustained an estimated $2.8 million in damages, per the governor’s letter. Floodwaters caused a breach in the main levee near the Green Island Wildlife Management Area, creating a void about 120 feet long, and damaged embankments, ditch and containment dikes, access roads and culvert structures.

The city of Sabula reported a possible levee breach, according to the governor's office, but "has been unable to fully assess the situation" because of prolonged high water.

Sarah Watson of the Quad-City Times contributed reporting.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com