(Des Moines)—The Governor’s Office says it received word today (Mon.) that a Presidential Disaster Declaration has been issued for five northwest Iowa counties hit hard by severe weather that occurred from April 9th-11th. The five counties included in the Presidential Declaration are Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux.
The declaration makes federal funding available to the counties under the Public Assistance Program which provides long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by state programs. They are designed to help public entities and select non-profits. Public assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools.
In addition, five counties in southwest Minnesota have received a Presidential Major Disaster Designation through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Four counties in northwest Iowa that are contiguous to those counties, including Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon and Osceola, are also eligible for benefits through the designation. The Farm Service Agency may make Emergency Loans available to eligible farmers in the designated counties to help their operations return to normal if they sustained qualifying losses resulting from natural disaster.
The final date to apply is January 3rd, 2014.
Farmers in the affected counties should contact their local FSA office for more information.
