(April 1, 2023/DES MOINES, Iowa) – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for 12 counties in response to the March 31 severe weather. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grundy, Johnson, Keokuk, Linn, Mahaska, Wapello, and Washington counties. 
 
In addition, the proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for those counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services website at https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.   
  
The Disaster Case Management Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org. 

A copy of the proclamation can be found here. 

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to ban any Iowan under the age of 18 from having accounts on TikTok, Instagram or any other social media site has cleared its first hurdle in the Iowa House, but bill backers are planning changes in the legislation. House Speaker Pat Grassley says Republicans want to start a conversation about how social media companies are collecting data about children — but, more importantly, about how smart phone apps and online platforms are impacting the mental health of Iowa kids.) “This is a broader conversation than just dollars and cents,” Grassley says.

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says lawmakers should let parents control their children’s social media use.  “We can all be better about social media use. Social media can be a toxic environment and so we have to be careful, of course. Kids have to be careful with social media,” Konfrst says. “Let’s not also forget that social media can be a place of community where kids find each other in a way that can be valuable and meaningful to them.”

Utah has just adopted a law that requires minors to have parental consent for social media accounts. A key G-O-P lawmaker in the Iowa House says the plan is to adjust their bill so Iowa parents would have to sign off on social media accounts for teenagers, but Iowa children under the age of 13 would not be allowed to have one.

A recent study found 40 percent of kids under the age of 13 were using apps like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

(Radio Iowa) – Tornadoes and hail struck portions of Iowa Friday. Tornado watches or warnings were issued for 40 different counties Friday as severe weather struck the Midwest. Governor Reynolds has approved state assistance to six counties — Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Johnson, Mahaska and Washington.

Emergency shelters were opened in Coralville and Manchester. Damage was reported near Ottumwa and in Keokuk County as well. About half of the residents in Charlotte, a small town in Clinton County, were evacuated because a propane tank was damaged and began leaking.

The storm system knocked out electricity to thousands of customers in Iowa on Friday afternoon and, by midnight, snow had begun falling in northwest Iowa.