Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $1.5 Million to Support Disaster Resiliency Planning in Des Moines, Iowa

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the Iowa Economic Development Authority of Des Moines, Iowa, to develop and integrate comprehensive disaster assessments and resiliency plans for Mills and Fremont counties. The EDA grant will be matched with more than $400,000 in state and local investment.

“The Trump Administration is working hard to improve economic resilience in the wake of natural disasters,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. “These investments will create long-term regional redevelopment strategies that will leverage state, local, and private resources to foster economic growth and resilience in Mills and Fremont counties.”

“EDA plays an important role in catalyzing local strategies to prepare for and recover from natural disasters,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “This grant will allow community leaders to understand their disaster mitigation, resiliency and recovery opportunities as they relate to sustainable economic and community development.”

“Iowa continues to leverage federal resources to help local communities not only to plan for the next natural disaster, but be prepared to withstand it, and recover more quickly in the future,” said Governor Kim Reynolds. “We're grateful to Secretary Ross and the Trump Administration for their partnership from the very beginning in response to severe flooding that devastated communities in southwest Iowa.”

“I’m glad the Economic Development Administration has awarded $1.5 million to the Iowa Economic Development Authority to develop and implement comprehensive disaster assessments and resiliency plans for Mills and Fremont counties,” said Senator Chuck Grassley. “Western Iowa has been significantly impacted by flooding, and this grant will help protect those communities in the future.”

This project was made possible, in part, by the regional planning efforts led by the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) and Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO). EDA funds MAPA and SWIPCO to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to strengthen the regional economy, support private capital investment and create jobs.

This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-20) (PDF), which provided EDA with $600 million in additional Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) Program (PDF) funds for disaster relief and recovery for areas affected by Hurricanes Florence, Michael, and Lane, Typhoons Yutu and Mangkhut, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, and other major natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2018, and tornadoes and floods occurring in calendar year 2019, under the Robert T. Stafford Act. Please visit EDA’s Disaster Supplemental webpage.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.