Communities in northwest Iowa are waiting for FEMA to approve buyouts for properties that were damaged by flooding in the summer of 2024. Tom Van Maanen, the City Administrator in Rock Valley, says his community is asking for federal funding to help buy and demolish just over 12 dozen homes.
Under FEMA’s buyout program for homes in flood zones, 75% of the funding comes from the federal government, the state provides 10% and 15% comes from the local community. Rock Valley is seeking 40 MILION dollars from FEMA to support buying 145 homes, but FEMA asked for more information about a few of the properties.
State officials say Sioux County as well as the cities of Spencer, Rock Rapids, Hawarden, Correctionville and Sioux Rapids have submitted buyout requests to FEMA. Estherville and Cherokee are still finalizing their applications and have until the end of the year to submit the paperwork to FEMA. Once a property is purchased under this program, the parcel becomes public land and made into a park or water retention area.
