It’s been a tough Summer for Iowa.
In June, the state was hit by a severe tornado. Then, last Saturday, rushing floodwaters from the Moquoketa River knocked a 30-foot hole in a dam, forcing an evacuation of those living in the area below. Fortunately, none were killed, but major flood damage to many local homes and businesses from the record-high water level is expected to cost millions in damages. You can see some of the wreckage in this video.
As with any disaster, the fallout for those affected will be difficult and long-lasting. And one local politician is facing some fallout of his own.
Republican State Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale was just re-elected on June 8, but some comments he made before citizens hit the polls are now coming back to bite him.
At a March 26 forum at Drake University, Zaun said, “The fact of the matter is, is what has been forgotten is personal responsibility. We lost that as a country. We expect when there’s a flood or something that’s going on, the government to come in and help us.”
Of course, since the flood, the local Democrats have jumped on what now sounds like a callous remark, claiming that Zaun’s past voting record shows he doesn’t want public fund being used to help flood victims and — as expected — telling the press all about it.
Gabby Adler, a spokeswoman for the Democratic committee, said, “If Brad Zaun had his way, local communities, small business, and families would be forced to fend for themselves in times of disaster instead of receiving the assistance they need.”
Zaun disagrees with that outlook, however.
“I think it’s a low blow for them to say that,” Zaun said Tuesday. “Obviously, the people who are affected by the dam break, I would obviously expect the government to play a role in that.”
The real concern here should be the disaster victims — not one politician being called out by an opportunistic rival party. But it is interesting to see how disaster politics always seem to factor into the matter at hand: helping people who need help.
Below are are some photos from local authorities from both the recent flooding and the June tornados. Hopefully these will be the last disaster photos coming out of Iowa for a long time.
I’m sure Senator Zaun agrees.
The Flood
On Saturday, July 24, floodwaters broke through a dam on the Moquoketa River …
(Photo: Colonel Hoye, Iowa State Patrol)
… leading to widespread flooding that covered Highway 30 …
(Photo: David Morlan, Boone County Emergency Management)
… and left some buildings in ruin.
(Photo: Colonel Hoye, Iowa State Patrol)
The Tornado
The wreckage from the EF-4 tornado that hit west of Sibley in June, as viewed from above …
(Photo: Dan Bechler, Osceola County Emergency Management)
… and, in a different location, from ground level.
(Photo: Teresa Jackson, Ringgold County Emergency Management)
Jared Wade is co-editor of Risk Management Monitor and senior editor of Risk Management magazine, where he has worked since 2002. You can follow him on Twitter @RiskMgmt and find more of his writing at JaredWade.com.
