Update: During her Monday afternoon news conference, Gov. Reynolds said President Trump will visit Iowa on Tuesday.
President Trump said on Monday morning he’d approved a federal major disaster declaration for Iowa counties affected by the derecho that struck the state one week ago.
“I’ve just approved an emergency declaration for Iowa who had an incredible windstorm,” Trump said. “Like … probably they’ve never seen before. It really did a lot of damage.”
Trump also said he might visit Iowa later on Monday.
The president made his remarks as he was leaving the White House on a scheduled trip to Wisconsin and Minnesota. White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later told reporters that Trump would not go to Iowa on Monday.
“Logistically, we could not make it work at the last minute,” Meadows said.
Meadows did not explain why visiting a state seven days after a natural disaster would be considered a last-minute addition to the president’s schedule.
Gov. Kim Reynolds submitted the application for the major disaster declaration on Sunday, according to a news release her office sent out after 5 p.m. that day. Reynolds requested just under $4 billion “from our federal partners to recover from this unprecedented event.”
Reynolds’ application requested assistance from two Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs — the Individual Assistance Program, which provides help to individuals and businesses, and the Public Assistance Program, which provides funds to repair or replace public infrastructure and clear debris.
Johnson and Linn are among the counties that will be covered by both programs.
During a press conference on Friday, the governor said she would be submitting the application for federal assistance on Monday.
“There’s criteria that you have to make, so we got people doing surveillance,” Reynolds said in response to a reporter asking her why she was taking so long to request federal aid. “I mean, that’s, I asked for today. So that’s my goal, but realistically, by the time we collect the information, that’s just how long it’s gonna take.”
But as Andy Kopsa reported in a story for Iowa Watch, there was another option open to the governor. Federal law permits a governor to immediately request federal aid before completing the application process in the event of a major natural disaster. Governors do it routinely.
In 2008, Gov. Chet Culver requested federal assistance the day after a powerful tornado struck Black Hawk and Butler counties, destroying nearly 200 homes and causing several million dollars’ worth of damage.
President George W. Bush approved Culver’s request in less than 24 hours.
Asked why Reynolds did not immediately request federal aid as Culver did in 2008, a spokesperson for the governor told Kopsa that Culver’s initial request was limited in scope and required him to later request additional federal aid. Reynolds, the spokesperson said, wanted to wait until she could apply for a more complete major disaster declaration.
“However limited in scope, that declaration [in 2008] allowed for immediate assistance directly to Butler County, and eventually included Black Hawk and surrounding communities,” Kopsa noted. “It also assigned a federal coordinator to work with state and local authorities and established a central location to assist families face to face.”
Although President Trump will reportedly not be visiting Iowa on Monday, FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor is scheduled to tour storm damage in the state.
The governor’s office announced she will hold a press conference in Cedar Rapids at 4 p.m. to address storm recovery. The press conference will be livestreamed on the governor’s Facebook page.
