Because of the hard-working volunteers, a Des Moines man will be able to spend Thanksgiving in his newly refurbished home, instead of just the small part that was livable after the floods of 2008. Iowa was ranked fifth in the nation for volunteering according to a recent study done. There were 865,000 volunteers, which represents 37 percent of all Iowa residents.

Lori Morrissey was selected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to represent Iowa at a meeting on the National Flood Insurance Program. She was one of 175 people to attend this meeting, which kicked off a 30-day comment period. Issues discussed were what people need, want, what a successful flood management plan is, and much more.

Governor Chet Culver today announced four new disaster assistance programs for small businesses and landlords impacted by the 2008 storms and floods, as well as improvements to the duplication of benefits policy for homeowners, at a press conference in Cedar Rapids.