Iowa Congressman Tom Latham today (Wednesday) commended the U.S. Department of Transportation’s decision to award Iowa an emergency relief grant of more than $37.4-million to repair roads damaged by historic flooding in 2011 along the Missouri River. Latham, Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee, announced the grant after Iowa officials filed a request for the emergency relief earlier in 2011.  

Latham said throughout the summer he saw firsthand the flood damage in western and southwestern Iowa and spoke with the Iowans whose lives were disrupted by the disaster. He says “The flood dealt serious damage to the transportation infrastructure that is critical to the flow of commerce in western Iowa.  This emergency relief funding is absolutely necessary to help repair and rebuild these roads and highways and restore certainty to Iowa’s local economies.”