(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials with the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency have announced A Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) will offer on-site assistance this weekend, to survivors of the April 26th tornado that devastated the City of Minden. The town is where most of the damage in Pott. County occurred, and MARC is designed to operate as a one-stop shop assistance center for disaster survivor information, and service delivery. Approximately 15 organizations available will be in Minden to offer assistance this Saturday and Sunday.

MARC will operate at the Minden United Church of Christ on Saturday, May 4th, from 9-a.m. until Noon, and on Sunday, May 5th, from 1-until-4-p.m.

Available assistance at the MARC will include health and mental services, temporary housing, legal services, and more. Efforts to establish future MARCs are being coordinated, with possible locations in Crescent, Treynor, and Council Bluffs. Regardless of the location, the MARCs will be open to all Pottawattamie County residents impacted by the tornado outbreak.

Officials say assessments on structural damage throughout the county are ongoing and will take time to accurately complete. Officials currently estimate approximately 300 homes and businesses in the county experienced some level of damage. In Minden, officials currently assess 48 homes as destroyed, displacing resident occupancy. Access to the city has been limited to city residents, public safety personnel, and utility crews, as safety hazards remain an obstacle. Officials are hopeful outside volunteer assistance will be allowed entry in the coming days.
Power has been restored to all homes and businesses capable of receiving in Minden. The State of Iowa has partnered with the City of Minden to obtain contract services for a temporary water treatment plant and a debris removal contract that will expedite recovery.

There has been no communicated need for food, water, or emergency shelter anywhere in Pottawattamie County. Currently, all communities in the county have received sufficient donations of household items. Disaster survivors can access these resources from multiple locations.
• Crescent City Hall, 102 W Florence Street, Crescent, Iowa
• Neola Area Community Center, 110 4th Street, Neola, Iowa
• Treynor City Hall, 11 West Main Street, Treynor Iowa

Monetary donations can be made to the Southwest Iowa Emergency Relief Fund to support areas impacted throughout the region (GiveWesternIowa.org). A separate fund is being established for donations designated specifically to the community of Minden, and information on how to make that donation will be announced in the coming days.
As local and state officials explore opportunities for federal funding, it is vital property owners report storm-related damage on the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency website, pcema-ia.org.