By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) asked that six Iowa counties be named USDA disaster areas last week, after he took an aerial survey of the damage caused by Missouri River flooding with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Gen. Derek Hill.

“The sheer scale of the damage being done by this flood cannot be fully appreciated until it is seen from the air,” King said. “Today, Governor Branstad, General Hill and I flew by Black Hawk helicopter from Sioux City to Council Bluffs in order to examine the flood’s overall impact on communities along this stretch of the Missouri River.

“This was the third aerial survey of this flood in which I have participated, and the magnitude of the flood’s reach now is much greater than it was just (three) weeks ago.”

In a June 30 letter signed by Iowa’s entire U.S. House delegation, King asked the USDA to grant Branstad’s request for the release of federal emergency assistance resources to Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie and Woodbury counties in his district, which are all near the Missouri River.
“This announcement should come as welcome news because it means that federal resources are now available to assist ongoing recovery efforts,” King added.

Over the past month, King’s office stated he has traveled through the Fifth District to examine the flood’s impact on local communities – travels which have included extensive aerial surveys of the May 25 flooding from the southern tip of the Fifth District to Gavins Point in Yankton, S.D.

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation recently estimated almost 150,000 acres of Iowa farmland could be affected by flooding along the Missouri River, which could also mean a loss of millions of bushels of grain.

In an official statement, the Iowa Corn Growers Assoc. (ICGA) said while Iowa farmers are used to the occasional flooding along the Missouri River, recent high waters and extreme circumstances have brought the river’s problems “front and center to not only those living close to the water, but also to people worlds away.

“The Iowa Corn Growers Association has had a long-term concern about the outdated infrastructure along both the Missouri and Mississippi river systems,” said Dean Taylor, a Prairie City farmer and ICGA president. “Right now, we should all focus on how we can help those along the Missouri River fight the flood waters, but after the waters recede, updating the river and dam systems needs to be a priority to avoid future flooding.”

According to Taylor, the Missouri River rechanneled itself near Omaha, Neb., in 1877, shortcutting a loop that effectively moved more than 1,500 acres of Nebraska land to the Iowa side of the river. As a result, large flooding on the Missouri occurred in 1943, 1952, 1967, 1984, 1990 and, most recently, in 1993 as excess rainfall brought $445 million in federal damage relief and more than 125 homes were lost, Taylor added.

“During the 1960s, the system of six federal dams and levee systems were completed,” he said. “The system of dams was originally designed for flood control to facilitate hydroelectric power and transportation, but it appears in recent years that recreational uses have taken precedence over the needs of flood control.”

As excess stored water has been released from the already-full lake system created by the federal dams, Taylor said “the flooding has severely affected many people and their livelihoods.

“As we look to the future, we need a plan along the Missouri River that emphasizes flood control, and allows a stable future for commerce, hydroelectric power and conservation of natural resources.”

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), all 99 of Iowa’s counties are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Federal assistance could include – but is not limited to – debris removal, emergency protective measures and for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

King said additional disaster designations may be made at a later date, if will be requested by Iowa officials and warranted by results of damage assessments.