Essential Information You Need To Know If You Have Been Caught Up In the Iowa Floods

As flood waters continue to rise in Iowa, a lot of things are taking place that residents need to be aware of.

Several state highways have been closed. More roads and highways will continue to be closed as flood waters continue rising in different counties. This requires that you do some research before going out, so as to check which roads are still open and which roads have been cordoned off. You can get information from the TV and radio news bulletins, the Internet and other people. This will save you a lot of hassle and time. You should also be prepared to take alternative roads, which might be longer than your normal routes.

On Friday 23rd September, Gov. Terry E. Branstad issued a disaster emergency for 13 counties in Iowa. This includes Allamakee, Bremer, Benton, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Cedar Butler, Chickasaw, Franklin, Delaware, Linn, Wright and Floyd, counties. This in effect means that state resources will be used to respond to the disaster and to help individuals who have been affected.

Families whose income is below the poverty income can be offered a maximum grant of $ 5,000. The affected families will have to download an application form and fill it out requesting for the grant. The form can be downloaded from the Iowa Disaster Assistance Application website.

Hundreds of volunteers are helping out in flood mitigation efforts. Some of the major tasks that volunteers are taking part in is filling up sandbags and distributing them to various places which are at high risk of getting flooded. Anyone who needs a sandbag can pick them up from assigned places. More volunteers are still needed, so you can take your shovel with you and go help sandbag.

Since people coming from out of state are causing major traffic snarl ups, city officials are trying to discourage people from getting into the state unless it is very necessary. This is to prevent hampering of the flood mitigation efforts that are going on. Individuals who would like to help are put on a waiting list and will be contacted when there is need for them.

The American Red Cross has set up emergency shelters, where people affected by the flooding can seek shelter. These shelters are available in various counties. For instance, there is an emergency shelter in Cedar Falls and in Waverly.

Volunteers are delivering various supplies to the Red Cross team, so as to help those who have been affected. Donated supplies include water, snacks and cleaning supplies. The Red Cross team is also coordinating with city officials from various counties, such as Cedar Rapids and Linn County on how to carry out evacuations.

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