Declaring and Proclaiming Disaster

Keokuk County

On March 23, 2019, President Trump signed a Presidential Disaster Declaration for counties in southwest Iowa devastated by early spring flooding.  Since 1990 there have been 44 Presidential Disaster Declarations in Iowa. 

            The principal hazard that prompts these declarations is severe weather, mostly heavy rain and flooding but also tornadoes or occasionally blizzards and other winter conditions.  “Iowa has also been affected by hazardous materials spills both at fixed facilities and those associated with transportation accidents.”

            In the last decades, decade by decade, covering a period of almost seventy years, the numbers of Presidential Disaster Declarations look like this:

            18 declarations from 2011 – August 23 of 2019 (period ends at the close of 2020)

            13 from 2001-2010, includes the floods of 2008

            11 from 1991-2000, includes the floods of 1993

              5 from 1981-1990, none in 1981, ’82, ’83, ’85, ’86, ‘89

              5 from 1971-1980, none in 1971, ’75,’76, ’78, ‘80

              7 from 1961-1970, none in 1963, ’64, ’66, ’67, ‘70

              3 from 1951-1960, none in 1951, ’52, ’55,’56,’57, ’59, ‘60

            On June 10, 2019, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency that included damage suffered in Keokuk County following severe storms that caused flooding on May 17 and thereafter.  The “whereas’s” of this legal document include, Whereas “the emergency management coordinator for the county has indicated that state individual assistance…is needed for certain individuals and families adversely affected by the disaster who cannot be helped by other means of financial assistance and for whom federal assistance under the Stafford Act is either not available or does not adequately meet the needs of the citizens in the disaster area and

            Whereas these conditions threaten the public peace, health, and safety of citizens of the State of Iowa and have damaged and destroyed public and private property,” because of this there is legal justification for a Proclamation of a State of Disaster Emergency. 

            Between March and August of 2019, Governor Reynolds signed 28 such proclamations to assist counties in the state.

Source:  on-line: Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management