Public Assistance

HOME » DISASTERS » PUBLIC ASSISTANCE

Public Assistance

Money and People Icon

Federal Public Assistance Program

Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA awards grants to assist state, local, tribal and territorial governments and certain private nonprofit organizations with the response to and recovery from disasters. The program provides funding for debris removal, implementation of emergency protective measures and permanent restoration of infrastructure. The program also encourages protection from future damage by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. The state works with FEMA to manage the program and administer the funding.

For all disasters declared on or after Oct. 1, 2023, the State must have sustained the minimum amount of damage statewide (according to FEMA regulations) of $1.84 per capita, or $5,870,279, to qualify for Public Assistance funding.

Once this statewide minimum has been met, then the qualifying amount of damage per capita in each county must reach at least $4.60.

How to Submit a request for public assistance within emGrants pro

This is a tutorial to provide instructions as to how to submit a Request for Public Assistance within Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s grants management system, EMGrants Pro.

Public Assistance information for Iowa Disasters

Public Assistance per capita minimum by county

 

These amounts are effective October 1, 2023.

Annual Estimates of the Population for Counties of Iowa
Geographic Area August 12, 2020
Census
Cost necessary to meet threshold
Iowa 3,190,369 $5,870,279
County
Adair County 7,496 $34,481.60
Adams County 3,704 $17,038.40
Allamakee County 14,061 $64,680.60
Appanoose County 12,317 $56,658.20
Audubon County 5,674 $26,100.40
Benton County 25,575 $117,645.00
Black Hawk County 131,144 $603,262.40
Boone County 26,715 $122,889.00
Bremer County 24,988 $114,944.80
Buchanan County 20,565 $94,599.00
Buena Vista County 20,823 $95,785.80
Butler County 14,334 $65,936.40
Calhoun County 9,927 $45,664.20
Carroll County 20,760 $95,496.00
Cass County 13,127 $60,384.20
Cedar County 18,505 $85,123.00
Cerro Gordo County 43,127 $198,384.20
Cherokee County 11,658 $53,626.80
Chickasaw County 12,012 $55,255.20
Clarke County 9,748 $44,840.80
Clay County 16,384 $75,366.40
Clayton County 17,043 $78,397.80
Clinton County 46,460 $213,716.00
Crawford County 16,525 $76,015.00
Dallas County 99,678 $458,518.80
Davis County 9,110 $41,906.00
Decatur County 7,645 $35,167.00
Delaware County 17,488 $80,444.80
Des Moines County 38,910 $178,986.00
Dickinson County 17,703 $81,433.80
Dubuque County 99,266 $456,623.60
Emmet County 9,388 $43,184.80
Fayette County 19,509 $89,741.40
Floyd County 15,627 $71,884.20
Franklin County 10,019 $46,087.40
Fremont County 6,605 $30,383.00
Greene County 8,771 $40,346.60
Grundy County 12,329 $56,713.40
Guthrie County 10,623 $48,865.80
Hamilton County 15,039 $69,179.40
Hancock County 10,795 $49,657.00
Hardin County 16,878 $77,638.80
Harrison County 14,582 $67,077.20
Henry County 20,482 $94,217.20
Howard County 9,469 $43,557.40
Humboldt County 9,597 $44,146.20
Ida County 7,005 $32,223.00
Iowa County 16,662 $76,645.20
Jackson County 19,485 $89,631.00
Jasper County 37,813 $173,939.80
Jefferson County 15,663 $72,049.80
Johnson County 152,854 $703,128.40
Jones County 20,646 $94,971.60
Keokuk County 10,033 $46,151.80
Kossuth County 14,828 $68,208.80
Lee County 33,555 $154,353.00
Linn County 230,299 $1,059,375.40
Louisa County 10,837 $49,850.20
Lucas County 8,634 $39,716.40
Lyon County 11,934 $54,896.40
Madison County 16,548 $76,120.80
Mahaska County 22,190 $102,074.00
Marion County 33,414 $153,704.40
Marshall County 40,105 $184,483.00
Mills County 14,484 $66,626.40
Mitchell County 10,565 $48,599.00
Monona County 8,751 $40,254.60
Monroe County 7,577 $34,854.20
Montgomery County 10,330 $47,518.00
Muscatine County 43,235 $198,881.00
O’Brien County 14,182 $65,237.20
Osceola County 6,192 $28,483.20
Page County 15,211 $69,970.60
Palo Alto County 8,996 $41,381.60
Plymouth County 25,698 $118,210.80
Pocahontas County 7,078 $32,558.80
Polk County 492,401 $2,265,044.60
Pottawattamie County 93,667 $430,868.20
Poweshiek County 18,662 $85,845.20
Ringgold County 4,663 $21,449.80
Sac County 9,814 $45,144.40
Scott County 174,669 $803,477.40
Shelby County 11,746 $54,031.60
Sioux County 35,872 $165,011.20
Story County 98,537 $453,270.20
Tama County 17,135 $78,821.00
Taylor County 5,896 $27,121.60
Union County 12,138 $55,834.80
Van Buren County 7,203 $33,133.80
Wapello County 35,437 $163,010.20
Warren County 52,403 $241,053.80
Washington County 22,565 $103,799.00
Wayne County 6,497 $29,886.20
Webster County 36,999 $170,195.40
Winnebago County 10,679 $49,123.40
Winneshiek County 20,070 $92,322.00
Woodbury County 105,941 $487,328.60
Worth County 7,443 $34,237.80
Wright County 12,943 $59,537.80

 

Public Assistance Info for Disaster 4732 (April 24, 2023 through May 13, 2023)

 

Questions? Contact HSEMDRecoveryPA@iowa.gov

Public Assistance Info for Disaster 4483 (Jan. 20, 2020 through May 11, 2023)


Public Assistance Details for Disaster 4483 (COVID-19 Pandemic)

Incident period: Jan. 20, 2020 through May 11, 2023

COVID-19 Nationwide Emergency Declaration
Applicant Briefing Schedule (PDF format)

FEMA COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Assistance Programmatic Deadlines – Version 2 (Updated 3/30/2023)
Applicants and Recipients must submit all project applications for work performed through July 1, 2022, by December 31, 2022. All project applications for work performed July 2, 2022 through May 11, 2023 must be submitted by November 7, 2023. 

FEMA Memo (2/10/23): COVID-19 Incident Period Closure, Public Assistance Emergency Work Deadline, and Resulting Program Guidance

Public Assistance (PA) Disposition Requirements for Equipment and Supplies Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Version 2  (Updated 5/5/2023)

COVID-19 Patient Care Revenue Duplication of Benefits Guide

FEMA’s Public Assistance Disaster-Specific Guidance for COVID-19 Declarations

VIDEO and RELATED FILES

COVID-19 Pandemic: Safe Opening and Operation-September 23, 2021 (YouTube)

COVID-19 Pandemic: Public Assistance Policy Updates and Implementation (YouTube)

COVID-19/FEMA New Interim Policy (YouTube)

Public Assistance Applicant Briefing Overview (YouTube)

Declared Disasters

State of Iowa County Map and Public Assistance Regional Map

Public Assistance Grant Program Contacts

David Parziale | Public Assistance Bureau Chief | 515-249-2242

Field Delivery (FD)

Ashley MiddletonTeam Lead | 515-210-7918

Graham GilesFloat | 515-971-4664

Makaria Kirianov | District 2 | 515-314-7554

Chris Vitek | District 3 | 515-210-7627

Dana Greenwood | District 4 & Drainage Districts | 515-669-1722

Scott Stanley | District 6 | 515-971-0574

Rick Biondi | Float & State Agencies | 515-979-3519

Erin Tijerino | District 1 | 515-577-1510

Teresa Higginbotham | District 5 | 515-326-4511

Jim Grandquist | Rural Electric Cooperatives | 515-971-5579

Grants Management and Monitoring (GMM)

Marina Heintz | Team Lead | 515-689-4896

Erin Parsons | District 2, Nonprofits, Rural Electric Cooperatives | 515-314-9838

Brigette Rognes | District 3 | 515-314-6771

Cate Brehmer | District 4 | 515-314-3286

Cinnamon Weigel | District 5, Nonprofits | 515-217-7054

Sara Baringer | District 6 | 515-314-3468

Heidi Brown | State Agencies | 515-314-4430

Christine Burkett | Drainage Districts (DR-4421) | 515-321-4030

Michelle Gray | District 1, Monitor | 515-577-9424

Policy and Technical Assistance (PTA)

Chris Spencer | Team Lead | 515-979-3298

Christine Burkett | Policy & Training | 515-321-4030

Taryn Boomgaard | Policy & Training | 515-314-7947

Rana Scarlett | Demolition | 515-314-6779

Dillon Lundy | PA Mitigation | 515-314-1972

Additional Support

Katherine Hines | PA Finance | 515-314-9692

Colleen Kinney | Environmental & Historic Preservation | 515-314-7374

Historic Artifacts

Historic Preservation

In the course of executing your disaster recovery grant, you may encounter previously unknown cultural/historic artifacts. Please follow this process:

I. TREATMENT OF HUMAN REMAINS AND ITEMS OF RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

A. In the event that human remains are encountered during archaeological investigations or construction activity, ensure that the remains are left in place, that work within 100 feet of the remains will cease, the site will be secured, and the following entities will be contacted immediately upon discovery: local law enforcement, the State Medical Examiner, and the director of the Bioarchaeology Program at the OSA either directly or through the State Archaeologist. If the project is funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), then notify the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD), FEMA, and the Iowa State Historic Preservation Officer within 24 hours.

B. All ancient human remains (over 150 years old) in Iowa are protected by the following sections of the Iowa Code: Chapter 263B, 523I.316(6), 685-11.1 and 716.5. Ancient human remains discovered on Federal and/or tribal lands as a result of the Undertaking are also protected under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) (25 U.S.C. 3001-3005).

C. If the remains are determined to be ancient, the Bioarchaeology Program at the OSA shall have jurisdiction to ensure that the Iowa Code as well as Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR Part 10), as applicable, are observed. The disposition of the remains will be arranged by the director of the Bioarchaeology Program and the State Archaeologist in consultation with the culturally affiliated Tribe(s) and the OSA’s Indian Advisory Council, or other descendant communities as applicable.

D. Any dispute regarding the applicability of NAGPRA as a result of the Undertaking shall be resolved in accordance with 43 CFR Part 10.17.

E. If the remains are determined to be less than 150 years old, the Iowa Department of Public Health will be notified. The OSA will coordinate with the State Medical Examiner (SME) to determine the ancestry and antiquity of the remains. If remains are identified as Native American and not of medicolegal significance, the OSA will coordinate with the SME and Tribes to determine the appropriate disposition.

 

Contacts:

Lara Noldner, PhD
Bioarchaeology Director
Office of the State Archaeologist
University of Iowa
700 S Clinton St.
Iowa City, IA 52242
319-384-0740
lara-noldner@uiowa.edu

John Doershuk, PhD
State Archaeologist
Office of the State Archaeologist
University of Iowa
700 S Clinton St.
Iowa City, IA 52242
319-384-0740
john-doershuk@uiowa.edu

Dennis Klein, MD
State Medical Examiner
Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner
Iowa Department of Public Health
2250 S Ankeny Blvd.
Ankeny, IA 50023-9093
515-725-1400
dennis.klein@idph.iowa.gov

Melissa Bird
Bureau Chief of Health Statistics
Iowa Department of Public Health
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-6762
melissa.bird@idph.iowa.gov

If work is related to a FEMA-funded project, contact:

Colleen Kinney
Recovery Division, Program Planner III (EHP)
Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
515-314-7374
colleen.kinney@iowa.gov

Teri Toye
Regional Environmental Officer
FEMA Region VII
510-512-2373
teri.toye@fema.dhs.gov

Heather Gibb, PhD
Iowa State Historic Preservation Officer
State Historic Preservation Office
515-348-6285
heather.gibb@iowaeda.com

Iowa HSEMD Logo

Contact Us

7900 Hickman Road,
Suite 500
Windsor Heights, IA 50324

515.725.3231  515.725.3260 FAX
Business Hours:
8:00 AM-4:00 PM

CONNECT WITH US

CONTACT FORM

© Copyright 2023 - Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management - Policies