June 27 – Jasper County has now been added to the President’s major disaster declaration following the severe flooding and wind storms that occurred a month ago. The decision comes after emergency management officials spoke with state leaders and even the U.S. Senator. Chuck Grassley to convince the federal government to ask for help.
“Advocating for the needs of Iowans at the federal level is my core responsibility as an elected representative,” Grassley said in a statement to Newton News. “Local residents and first responders have been communicating with my staff and speaking to me directly about the urgent need for federal assistance following the severe storms in May. I was pleased to support adding Jasper County to the Major Disaster Declaration, and I stand ready to assist as the storm continues. I have worked to ensure that Iowans can recover in any way possible.”
A news release from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management announced that three more counties had been added to the presidential disaster order: Jasper, Adams and Cedar. Adair, Polk, Story and Montgomery counties were included in the original declaration on May 24.
Jamey Robinson, director of the Jasper County Emergency Management Agency, continues to receive calls from residents who are still being negatively impacted by last month’s storms. Many saw damage to their homes and essentials like heating and cooling systems. Others have lost everything.
Unyielding in his approach, Robinson continued to press for further assistance from the federal government, contacting the governor’s office, state departments and Iowa legislators. He told the Newton News that he is unsure why Jasper County was excluded from the declaration in the first place.
Robinson estimates that Jasper County suffered $10 million in damage. He also said that 208 people were affected by significant flooding.
Now that Jasper County has been added to the declaration, residents can now apply for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual Assistance Program. This program provides affected homeowners, renters and businesses with programs and services to maximize rebuilding efforts.
These services include housing, replacement of personal property, medical expenses, and legal services. Individuals and business owners who have suffered losses may apply for assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362. The helpline is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Residents can also register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by downloading the FEMA app.
Homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits whose property was damaged or destroyed by this disaster may be eligible for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofits that were affected may be eligible for capital loans.
Applications for disaster loans or capital loans can be completed online at www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance.
SBA’s Customer Service Center can be reached by phone at 1-800-659-2955 or by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. People who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired are encouraged to call 711 to access telecommunications relay services.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are currently deployed to Clay, Emmet, Lyon, Plymouth and Sioux counties to help survivors of record flooding in northwest Iowa. DSA teams are also helping residents of Adams, Cedar and Jasper counties.
FEMA’s involvement is the culmination of a month of work by Robinson.
“Repeated trips to people’s homes, conversations, gathering information, submitting information — pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing,” Robinson said.
Robinson told Newton News that he met with federal officials on June 25 and gave FEMA workers a list of reported damage in Jasper County. Most of the damage was to homes. Robinson said three or four businesses reported damage to their properties.
Kellogg experienced some of the worst damage from the flooding. Homes in a recent neighborhood suffered significant water damage to their basements after a nearby culvert clogged. Holmdahl Park was completely flooded. And the highway leading into the city was at one point flooded and impassable.
Robinson said Newton itself had 150 damage reports, with residents having several inches to several feet of water in their basements.
Jasper County’s inclusion in the President’s disaster declaration means that FEMA will be meeting with residents to assess their damage and enroll them in recovery programs. Jasper County EMA is working to set up a response center using one of the FEMA buses. It will take a few days.
“They look at their damages,” Robinson said. “They can’t duplicate services. So if they have insurance and the insurance pays for it, they don’t get a check. That’s one thing. If the insurance doesn’t pay for it, then they give them money based on the percentage of damages up to a certain amount.”
Important to know: The damaged home must be a primary residence.
