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Land-use official: Des Moines County in good standing after FEMA flood-map update
Summary
The county—s land-use official said a recent FEMA letter suggested a deadline issue but DNR review confirmed Des Moines County provided required materials and is in good standing; FEMA—s delay produced an administrative 30-day extension, officials said.
Jerry Westover, the county—s land-use official, told the board that FEMA had issued a letter tied to updated flood-plain panels along the Skunk River and that the county had re-adopted a flood-plain ordinance more than a month earlier. Westover said his review of the FEMA letter suggested it could be read as implying the county had failed to submit required materials on time, but that his follow-up with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and with the individual named in FEMA—s correspondence (Jason Cohn) confirmed the county had supplied what it needed and is in good standing.
"Based on my experience with how things have been going with FEMA lately, I think that's really just a procedural formality here," Westover said during his report, while noting FEMA had been operating with limited capacity due to a recent government shutdown and had effectively given communities an extra 30 days because a preliminary warning had not been issued on the usual schedule.
Why it matters: changes to flood-plain maps can affect permitting, insurance and development decisions along affected waterways; Westover said county staff will continue to verify compliance and coordinate with DNR as needed.
