Press Release

U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $550,280 to Support Disaster Resiliency Efforts in Midwest States

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $550,280 grant to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), of Washington, D.C., to provide disaster recovery technical assistance to states across the Midwest that were impacted by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019. The EDA grant will be matched with $137,570 in local investment.

“EDA and IEDC have a long and proud history of working together to provide disaster-impacted communities the assistance they need to recover and build back stronger,” said Dana Gartzke, Performing the Delegated Duties of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. “By leveraging both public and private funds, IEDC will deliver technical assistance and support to states across the Midwest to strengthen their local economies and make them more resilient to future severe weather events.”

Severe storms, floods, wildfires and tornadoes in 2018 and 2019 caused infrastructure damage, agricultural losses, and disruptions to businesses in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This investment will accelerate recovery and resiliency efforts by providing customized technical assistance to local communities to support economic recovery, resilience, and new business growth.

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.