Jones Co. EMA continues to pursue derecho assistance

     Brenda Leonard, Jones County Emergency Management coordinator, informed the board of supervisors during their Sept. 29 board meeting that she submitted an appeal for individual home assistance to FEMA and Iowa Homeland Security. This stems from the Aug. 10 derecho.

     After submitting the appeal, she received a call from FEMA questioning some of the damaged properties listed in the submission.

     “So we went back out and took more pictures,” Leonard said.

     Immediately after the storm, Leonard and E911 Coordinator Gary Schwab headed out across the county to conduct a PDA (Preliminary Damage Assessment). They drove by damaged properties and took pictures.

     For the next step, a Joint Damage Assessment, Leonard said FEMA typically sends its own representatives out for that.

     “Due to COVID, that’s not happening,” she said.

     So, Leonard took it upon herself to perform the Joint Assessment.

     “It’s up to them (FEMA) whether they see enough damage now to give us the designation,” she said of assisting homeowners.

     Leonard and others put in a lot of time, labor, and use of equipment to conduct these assessments. She said it’s likely the associated costs will not be reimbursed by FEMA.

     “I get how many disasters FEMA is dealing with right now,” she said, “but my budget is short.”

In other county business:

     • Leonard contacted county food pantries regarding excess food stemming from the CDBG grant. She said a couple of the locations told her they weren’t in need of food donations at this time.

     “The HACAP food donations have been very generous lately,” Supervisor Wayne Manternach said.

     “A couple of food banks have an over abundance of food,” added Leonard. “They have half the people coming in from this time a year ago.”

     Leonard said regardless, they will see that the food to a site where it could do some good.

     • The board approved a memorandum of understanding with ASAC to provide a substance abuse treatment counselor for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program grant. The grant came from the Governor’s Office of Drug Control Policy.