Weather Damages to Iowa Public Property in June Exceed $15M

By | July 7, 2014

Damage to public roads, bridges and buildings is estimated at more than $15 million from storms and flooding in June, Iowa’s top emergency management official said.

Those estimates include only public facilities, said Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Mark Schouten, who spoke at a news conference held by Gov. Terry Branstad.

The estimates do not include homes or farmland. He said as many as 150 homes in Iowa have major flood damage. Many are in northwest Iowa where the cities of Rock Rapids and Rock Valley were flooded by the Rock River in mid-June.

Branstad said crops in some parts of Iowa have significant damage from hail and flooding. Those claims for assistance are handled by the federal government through a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency.

“I can tell you having been to Council Bluffs there are in some areas of southwest Iowa considerable hail damage in addition to flood damage we’ve seen in northwest Iowa, so you will have substantial crop damage separate and above what we have talked about here today,” Branstad said.

Damage to public facilities from recent flooding has been estimated at about $11 million, Schouten said. Storms on June 3 caused an additional $4.5 million in damage, he said. That was a day powerful thunderstorms produced large hail, heavy rain and winds of up to 85 mph.

Rivers in Iowa are high, the ground is saturated and emergency management officials are monitoring weather forecasts.

Branstad has issued disaster declarations for 18 counties providing state resources to help communities fight back floodwaters and to help homeowners in recovery efforts.

Topics Flood Property Iowa

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Insurance Journal Magazine July 7, 2014
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