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FEMA Top Administrator Gets Close Up Look at Flood Damage
By Dave Franzman, Reporter
By
Dave Franzman
Story Created:
Sep 22, 2009 at 12:28 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Sep 22, 2009 at 5:31 PM CDT
CEDAR RAPIDS - The director of FEMA got a first hand look at the remaining flood devastation in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday morning.
The former director of FEMA, R. David Paulson, visited at least twice after the flood in June of 2008. But new director Craig Fugate was only confirmed in office last May. So this was his first visit to the flood zone in Cedar Rapids as leader of the federal recovery agency.
Fugate as well as Iowa Governor Chet Culver took a quick walk through part of the Time Check neighborhood. One stop included a conversation with residents Richard Davis and Whitey Campbell.
Both told the FEMA director and the Governor of problems with bureaucratic rules that have hampered their recovery. Both officials promised to have staffers look into their specific complaints.
At a news conference later, Governor Culver said he met the new FEMA director several months ago and extended the invitation to visit Cedar Rapids to see the damaged and visit with local leaders to hear concerns.
Following the public events, Fugate, Governor Culver and local officials were set to meet for a good part of the day to go over recovery issues.
Part of the meeting with include University of Iowa engineers who will discuss long term flood prevention needs and concerns.
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