More federal money is headed to Northwest Iowa towns, schools and counties that were impacted by June 2024 flooding.
U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley announced the awards for the area in recovery monies, plus $9 million in Federal Emergency Management Agencygrants for pieces to mitigate future flooding events.
Of that preventive money, nearly $6 million is being directed to Lyon County and $3.5 million to Sioux County.
Up in Lyon County, the Rock Valley School District is getting $150,000, while the city of Rock Valley is getting $2.6 million for flooding emergency actions after the Rock River spilled out of its banks. That will cover such actions as sandbagging, evacuations, rescue operations and debris cleanup.
Flooding of the Little Sioux River impacted the towns of Cherokee and Spencer.
Cherokee will receive nearly $300,000 for repairs of riverbanks and roads.
The Spencer School District gets grants of more than $600,000. The City of Spencer will receive more than $1 million to remove properties substantially damaged by storms and flooding.
The city of Spencer has gotten periodic FEMA money to carry out buyouts of homeowners who will not rebuild there.
Back in July, Spencer City Manager Kevin Robinson said a FEMA goal is to reduce impacts on homes located in 100-year floodplains. At the beginning of 2026, the Spencer City Council members approved a $10 million application for a final package from a FEMA buyout program for up to 40 properties.
