Tuesday, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) celebrated a new $2,816,691 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund flood recovery efforts in rural Fremont County.
The grant will fund the purchase of 20 residential properties in Fremont County that have been substantially damaged by flooding at pre-flood values, allowing Iowa families in these homes to move forward after living with mortgages on devastated properties with no ability to sell their damaged properties.
“Last year’s flooding devastated our rural communities and left the families with these properties in western Fremont County inundated with more than 8 feet of water for a long time – crippling their ability to heal and get back to normal,” said Rep. Axne. “With this critical funding, we can give these Iowans a fresh start by buying out their damaged properties at their original value. I’m glad to see this additional assistance coming to help our families stay on the road to full recovery.”
All 20 of the properties in Fremont County are west of Interstate 29, some of the closest properties to the banks of the Missouri River.
After securing $3 billion for Midwest flood recovery in last year’s federal disaster bill, Rep. Axne has been tracking funding provided to Iowa to help rebuild from last year’s flooding with her Iowa Flood Funding Tracker.
With this new grant, the Tracker now accounts for just under $560 million in federal dollars spent in Iowa.
The purchase of the properties will help mitigate damage cause by recent flooding by demolishing or converting the properties to permanent open space.
Earlier this year, FEMA reported to Rep. Axne that it had so far spent $66 million on Iowa flood recovery by providing aid to individuals, grants, crisis counseling, and by administering flood insurance.
