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Families Inc. asks for help
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · July 31, 2014


Last week, Families Inc., a non-profit agency that specializes in child mental health and covers 20 counties, pored through phone books and sent some 400 letters throughout southeast Iowa, asking for donations.


Their West Branch offices flooded when two storms passed through here on June 30.

Yet despite having federal flood insurance, Executive Director Mary Kay Townsend said the office was told that unless the county was declared a “disaster area,” they would get little money from the insurance policy.

Tim Malott, director for the Cedar County Emergency Management Agency, said that Cedar County was declared a disaster area by the state, but that should not make a difference to anyone with flood insurance.

“I’ve never heard of that,” he said.

To make his point, he put this reporter on speaker and dialed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s general flood insurance hotline at 800-427-4661. A lady identifying herself as Deborah answered, and Malott identified himself as an EMA director.

Tim: “We had a flash flood on June 30. If people have flood insurance, when (an insurance agency) is processing that, should (the customer) be asked if there was a disaster declaration?”

Deborah: I don’t believe so.

Tim explained what this reporter told him about Families Inc. to clarify some details, then asked:

“So, if they had a flood (caused by a natural disaster) and there was not a presidential declaration, should they be able to file a claim if they are paid up (on their insurance premiums)?”

Deborah: Yes, if they have flood insurance. A disaster declaration is there if they don’t have flood insurance.

For more information on the National Flood Insurance Program, visit them on the Web at www.floodsmart.gov.

Malott noted that the state’s declaration for Cedar County was initiated by the storms that devastated Wilton and Durant a couple weeks before the June 30 storm hit West Branch, and the declaration lasts for 30 days, so that covers the flooding at Families Inc. and other places throughout West Branch.

Townsend and other Families Inc. staff have been washing walls and preparing them for paint. When they took over the former West Branch Family Practice office, many of the rooms had wallpaper. Now the walls have neither.

The flooding did not stop staff from doing most of its work, Townsend said, since most travel to client homes. For those times when they need to see someone outside the home, staff takes them next door to Bethany Lutheran Church, which also lets them use their restrooms since Families Inc.’s restrooms are pulled apart.

“They’ve been so good to us,” Townsend said of the church.

Donations are coming in, though. Keller Furniture in Tipton donated some “gently used” furniture for the office entryway, and Nagle Lumber provided four gallons of paint.

When Townsend spoke with this reporter, the company coming to clean their offices still had Families Inc. 20th on their priority list, though that was better than being 120th on the overall list. Families Inc. had to hire a company out of Chicago to dry out their offices after the flood — everyone nearby was busy.

Families Inc.’s insurance provides up to $125,000 in flood insurance. All flood insurance is part of the National Flood Insurance Program, which is operated by the federal government. The non-profit also signed up for a special rider that can get them another $30,000 in coverage.

“The adjuster recommended we get the limit,” she said, noting damage to the outside of the building as well. “We need siding, too.”

Furniture has been pushed into bunches; the front clerk is now working out of sight of the front door; file cabinets are two-deep against a wall, with the most frequently used cabinets blocking access to the older ones.

A couple of years ago, Families Inc. got a grant from Cedar County Foundation to carpet and paint two of their meeting rooms; the flood forced them to tear all that out, Townsend said.

The agency never lost electricity or Web access, but the mess has made it difficult to bring clients and visitors in.

“We’ve just been working amongst all the dirt,” Townsend said.

Townsend said she does not know what the agency will do if insurance refuses to pay and donations can’t cover the necessary work.

“We don’t have a big rainy day fund,” she said.

Mallot said Cedar County is trying to get the area declared a federal disaster area to get additional public assistance for damage to West Branch’s Town Hall, police/fire department, streets and sewers. His figures show about $75,000 in damage here.

For private individuals, state assistance is available for up to 200 percent of the poverty level, which starts at about $24,000 for a single person’s gross income, about $46,000 for a family of five, and up.

Malott said Community Action in Tipton can help individuals fill out a simple two-page form.



GETTING INVOLVED

Families Inc. offices flooded during the June 30 storms and the non-profit company is looking for donations to cover what insurance won't, from paint to plumbing to manpower. Those wishing to help may contact Director Mary Kay Townsend or Karla McKillip at 643-2532 or families@Lcom.net, or stop by 233 South Second Street.



FYI

Some who flooded during June 30 storms and have required flood insurance said insurance companies are leading them to believe they will get little to no money for losses. Cedar County EMA Director Tim Malott said that as long as a flood was a natural disaster — rather than, say, a leaky pipe or a clogged drain — insurance should cover it, and the June 30 storm qualifies as a natural disaster.

All flood insurance is covered by the National Flood Insurance Program. For information on what it covers, call 800-427-4661 or visit www.floodsmart.gov.