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(Des Moines, IA) -- Northeast Iowa's Howard County has been added to the list of counties under a state disaster declaration, due to severe weather April 12th, including eight confirmed tornadoes.
An earlier state disaster declaration included Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Humboldt, Mitchell, Pocahontas, Winneshiek and Worth counties.
The governor's proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to, and recover from, the effects of this severe weather in Howard County.
The proclamation also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for Howard County. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level for a family of three.
Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.