I like living in Iowa!

[charby]

This is feedback to the article posted below
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by gompers

FEMA's chief needs to be fired. It took what, almost a MONTH for them to respond to this natural disaster! People could have died!

Seriously. When disaster hit New Orleans, all people did was whine that the federal government wasn't helping them fast enough. When it hits Iowa, the state and local governments take it in stride, follow the proper course of action (declare areas disaster zones, and do the requisite paperwork to enable FEMA to do it's job), and prepared Iowans do their part.

It's stuff like this that makes me proud to live in this state, and ashamed that there are places in the US with the mindset demonstrated by the Katrina debacle.

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http://www.dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070326/NEWS/70326022/1001&lead=1
Federal aid headed to ice storm counties
By WILLIAM PETROSKI
REGISTER STAFF WRITER


March 26, 2007

Federal money is expected to begin flowing into Iowa within six to nine weeks to help pay for an estimated $37 million in damages sustained by state and local governments, and some electric utilities, during last months ice storms, a federal spokesman said today.

Primarily it will be debris clean up and aid to electric utilities. Thats what it looks like right now, said Dean Cushman, a public affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The agency has assigned staff to Iowa to help respond in the wake of the late February ice storms.

The disaster declaration covers 48 counties in Iowa.

Municipal electric utilities and rural electric cooperatives are eligible to receive money from the federal disaster assistance program, said Kara Berg, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Division of Homeland Security and Emergency
Management. The federal program does not help investor-owned electric utilities, including Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy, she said.

The ice storms which struck Iowa knocked out power to thousands of Iowa households and businesses, forcing utilities to bring in outside crews to help repair damaged poles and electic transmission lines. Gov. Chet Culver asked for federal assistance afterward, and President Bush gave his approval. An estimated 91 percent of the damage involved electric utilities, Cushman said.

A similar request is pending for federal disaster money related to the early March blizzard which hit Iowa a few days after the ice storm, Berg said.

The federal program offers payments of not less than 75 percent of eligible costs to remove storm debris from public areas and for emergency measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. It also covers at least three-fourths of bills to repair or replace damaged public facilities, such as roads and bridges, utilities, schools and recreational areas. Certain private, non-profit groups engaged in community service are also eligible.

In addition, up to 75 percent of state and local government costs can be covered for approved hazard mitigation projects to prevent or reduce long-term risks from natural or technological disasters.

A separate state disaster assistance program has been established by the Iowa Legislature to provide grants of up to $3,319 each to replace losses incurred by low-income Iowans during the ice storm and blizzard. That program is being administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services.

HOW NEEDY IOWANS CAN GET HELP
The Iowa Department of Human Services is processing applications for
government assistance from low-income Iowans to recover from the February
and March storms. The income limit is $26,845 for a family of four. For more
information, call toll-free 1-866-434-4692. The filing deadline is April 20.

[K Frame]

Ya know, not for nothing, but large segments of Iowa weren't simply erased from the face of the map when the ice storms hit.

Several of my coworkers and their families sheltered in place at a NOAA facility near Bay St. Louis.

When they were finally able to get out, more than one of them had trouble even locating where their houses used to stand because the storm had so totally removed the homes, streets, sidewalks, trees, and virtually every other landmark.

Had those ice storms left large areas of Iowa uninhabitable and thousands of people homeless, I wonder what the response would have been?

[charby]

In 1993 we had mass flooding and some it was still being cleaned up 3 years later, still wasn't that much complaining then.

[Ron]

Where is Iowa?

Is that in flyover country?

 

[charby]

Ron its is that state just East of your state that doesn't require FOID cards and you can own non-registered handguns in our largest city.

-Charby

[Ron]

Ron its is that state just East of your state that doesn't require FOID cards and you can own non-registered handguns in our largest city.

Oh, thats in "free" America.

Well, you guys aren't even quite that good, "freer" America is closer.

My knock wasn't on Iowa but on the media that ignores the heartland.

[charby]

I like watching the weather channel and they focus on the Midwest, unless there is a tornado on the ground or blizzard of apocalyptic proportions, Iowa seems to get left out of the forecast. Goes from St Louis, KC, Omaha then Minneapolis/St Paul.

Also they always refer to Indiana as the Midwest, never thought of Indiana that way.

-Charby

[El Tejon]

Sometimes we are, sometimes not.  It depends on our mood.

[Perd Hapley]

I've always thought of Indiana as a Southern state.   

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

RE: original thread topic:  What is SO often conveniently forgotten (and causes most of my heartburn over the NOLA Katrina debacle) is that although late, Nagin DID finally issue a MANDATORY evacuation to the city.

Those that chose to stay were breaking the law. 

And don't give me "some were sick/elderly and couldn't get out".  You either call for assistance or you call your pimpin' grandson who rolls up in his '71 Impala (KBB value: $450) with $4500 worth of 24" "rims" and +6 sized, Z-speed rated tires and wheels grandma out to the northern suburbs for a visit with the country relatives.  He'll cash your food stamps and get enough gas to get there. 

Sorry, just not very compassionate about this.
Fig

[El Tejon]

*rolls on floor, spitting bile and raw outratge, clutches at wound*

Southern State!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Perd Hapley]

Ahh, the desired effect.