As efforts continue to assist Washington County residents impacted by the December 15th derecho, residents are reminded they can report any storm-related damage to receive possible reimbursement.

On December 16th, Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for 49 counties including Washington in response to the severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of the severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program. Washington County Emergency Management Coordinator Marissa Reisen says that while the county didn’t see as much damage compared to other parts of the state, they want to make sure anyone who was affected can receive the help they need. She explains that if the state reports enough damage, a federal proclamation could be issued for counties who were highly impacted, “Each county has a minimum threshold they have to hit to qualify for public assistance. So we didn’t have enough damage for our county to be included in a Presidential declaration. However, we can submit the damages that we do have and that total can go towards the state total threshold which is what determines if all the other counties, if the state as a whole, can get declared for a Presidential declaration.”

The individual assistance program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes of up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Applicants have 45 days from December 16th to submit a claim. The case management program has no income eligibility requirements and closes 180 days from December 16th. Residents can find a link to report damage to property, roads, utilities and find other storm-related information.