The Linn Grove Dam in late October 2022. Photo by Jake Kurtz
As the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief fund runs dry, Conservation Director Greg Johnson’s hopes for FEMA to obligate what’s necessary to fix the Linn Grove Dam.
FEMA’s disaster relief fund is becoming depleted by the end of this month due to “an unprecedented number of disaster requests from governors because of the extreme weather that they’re experiencing,” according to FEMA chief Deanne Criswell. The fund has a balance just north of $3.4 billion; the White House is asking Congress for an additional $44 billion.
In the meantime, FEMA has told states that it has implemented “immediate needs funding” due to limited funding availability within the agency’s disaster relief fund.
Johnson noted the disaster relief fund is the same funding source that is expected to finance the restoration of the Linn Grove Dam. Johnson isn’t hopeful that FEMA will honor the board’s request. The last interaction the board had with FEMA suggested the federal agency is reviewing the project’s overall eligibility for obligation.
“Through FEMA’s press releases, they’re saying that they’re broke,” Johnson said Wednesday. “FEMA’s disaster recovery fund is no longer appropriating dollars for certain recovery projects unless it met certain requirements, like loss of life, things like that.”
At present, the county is awaiting a response from FEMA on its appeal to the Region 7 director to correct the amount FEMA obligated for the restoration of the Linn Grove Dam. The agency capped the overall restoration at $7.5 million; the low bid to restore the dam exceeded $12.2 million. Johnson claims the federal agency guaranteed the county at least $8.5 million and its own procedures for projects like Linn Grove should guarantee around $11.4 million.
“All public assistance comes through this fund across the country,” Johnson explained.
Johnson expects a response from FEMA on its appeal to its Region 7 director by the end of the month. The schedule for the appeal to the Region 7 director hasn’t been determined. If the appeal fails, the county also has arbitration before a randomly-selected civilian panel that will mete out the dispute.
Johnson said he doesn’t know how the draining disaster relief fund will impact the county’s request for corrected obligation.
“It doesn’t look good when the fund you’re asking for is going broke,” said Johnson when asked about the future of the county’s chances to receive federal funding from FEMA. He again underscored the fact that FEMA is investigating whether or not the Linn Grove Dam restoration qualifies for disaster relief funding in the first place. The dam was inundated with historic flooding in the spring of 2019; the floodwaters rerouted the Little Sioux River around the dam through the Little Sioux’s south bank. The river’s current path is headed straight toward the Linn Grove Bridge’s abutments — flooding similar to what happened in 2019 could wash the recently replaced dam down the Little Sioux, according to Engineer Bret Wilkinson.
A spokeswoman for FEMA’s Region 7 office didn’t respond to a request for comment Wednesday.