(Des Moines)– Governor Terry Branstad has penned a letter to President Barack Obama requesting a Presidential Disaster declaration for five northwest Iowa counties hit hard by an ice storm earlier this month.
The request is being made on behalf of Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux counties.
The Governor’s office says the request for Public Assistance Program funding is in response to severe weather that occurred between April 9th and April 11th that resulted in damaging winds, heavy rains, thunderstorms, freezing rain, ice and snow that damaged utility lines, poles, trees and vegetation.
A joint federal, state and local preliminary damage assessment of the five counties found the severe weather caused an estimated $6 million in damage that would be eligible under the federal program. Public Assistance funds may be used to rebuild damaged infrastructure such as roads, bridges, culverts and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work during and debris removal after storms.
