The 2020 disaster declaration, due to the derecho that hit Cedar Rapids, Iowa, did not include aid for homeowners and farmers, much to the dismay of state leaders and Iowans.

Governor Reynolds filed for a Major Emergency Declaration seeking $3.99 billion after the hurricane-force storm hit in the second week of August 2020. A spokesperson from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed in an email that only the public assistance portion was approved, roughly $45 million, which covers debris removal and repair of government buildings and utilities in 16 counties. The individual assistance requests for $82.7 billion for over 8,200 damaged homes and $3.77 billion for the 13-million-acre agriculture damage were not approved.

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand criticized the Governor for not moving quickly and not doing enough. According to Sand, funds would have been provided sooner if she sent an abbreviated request to FEMA meant “for those catastrophes of unusual severity and magnitude when field damage assessments are not necessary to determine the requirement for supplemental federal assistance.”

The same process was utilized when a strong tornado struck and destroyed hundreds of homes in Parkersburg, Iowa, in 2008. The federal government approved aid within 24 hours.

The debatable question is, should Iowa treat derecho disasters the same as tornado disasters regarding receiving federal funds?