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Lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Committee on Flooding learned Tuesday the state has distributed close to $90 million for recovery efforts after February flooding in southern counties.
However, GE McCabe, director of the Emergency Management Division told the committee the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), approved a 90/10 split of spending for the February floods, 90% federal, saving the state a lot of money in this disaster.
McCabe said the state spent another $20 million on recovery in Ohio and Marion counties after flooding in June.
Asked about a comprehensive flooding map to better prepare for future floods, McCabe said it’s easier said than done.
“One is finding the funding to be able to do it. Or what the contract would look like to hire a company to come in and do that mapping,” he said. “Because you can imagine, you know, trying to get a company that would be reliable, not just one of these says, Oh, I’ll bring my drone out and start flying around. We’re going to have to look at, I’m sure, some satellite imagery.”
He said the state will have a better understanding of what is possible after changes to FEMA that will shift responsibility and response to states are finalized.
Later in the meeting, the committee heard from Larry Weber, director of the Center for Hydrologic Development and interim director of the Iowa Flood Center. The center has created flood maps for the Iowa legislature and leveraged more than $200 million of external federal support to help Iowans with both flood recovery and future flood resilience.
Weber said the center has helped other states including Missouri and Minnesota to develop their own flood centers.