Iowa Gov. Culver: $1.2 Billion in Flood Damages Unmet by Aid

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver said July 22 that state officials have identified $1.2 billion in flood damage that hasn’t been met by disaster aid, and he’s asking Congress to move quickly to provide more assistance.

Culver pointed to the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, as examples of where Congress set a precedent in how it responds to emergencies.

Officials have estimated that the state suffered about $4 billion in agricultural damage and another $4 billion in damages to businesses.

The additional $1.2 billion, much of it for housing, takes the overall damage total to nearly $10 billion, making the June 2008 flooding the largest disaster in state history, Culver said.

The governor spoke with Iowa reporters on a conference call from Washington D.C., where he asked congressional leaders for more disaster assistance.

“We now know that there is more than a billion dollars in unmet needs,” Culver said. “We need a supplemental appropriation as quickly as possible from Congress.”

Congress has already set aside $2.6 billion in flood relief, but Iowa urgently needs another round of aid, the governor said.

“The second round is going to give us a better, more targeted response from Washington,” Culver said. “This housing need is critically important.”

Culver is able to turn to lawmakers who are in positions of power, particularly in the Senate. In addition to chairing the Senate Agriculture Committee, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin has a senior post on the Appropriations Committee, while Republican Sen. Charles Grassley holds a senior spot on the Senate Finance Committee.

Harkin said he is committed to getting federal resources to families and communities affected by the floods.

Grassley said he expects Congress to have the same response as it did following Hurricane Katrina and the terrorist attacks.

In assessing the damage, Culver said he’s worked closely with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to determine which damages will be covered.

While FEMA officials have indicated future appropriations will be made available for Iowa flood recovery, the $1.2 billion figure is beyond what FEMA indicated will be covered, Culver said.