MARION - You might see FEMA mobile homes traveling on Interstate 380 and wonder why they are not getting off at towns or cities devastated by natural disasters. That's because they have to go to the Grundy County town of Dike to be checked for mold and formaldehyde contamination. The new inspection process is one reason Iowa flood victims have not yet received replacement mobile homes. FEMA says the safety switch will take several weeks.

FEMA says it still needs to help more than 700 families in Iowa. It's trying to get at least 15 families a day into mobile homes, but it hasn't finished removing the ones that could have mold. One Palo woman says hers is still sitting on the lot.

Mary Oberembt finally found stability in her FEMA mobile home in Marion. It was her fifth overnight stop since the flood hit her hometown of Palo.

"It was nice to think I would be in the same place for several months," says Oberembt.

But that feeling only lasted a week. FEMA moved her to a hotel because of mold concerns in the exterior water-heater compartment.

"Nobody has an answer when we will be back here," says Oberembt.

Three weeks have passed, and still Oberembt only stops by for short visits, no overnight stays. She wonders if her temporary home will ever leave the Squaw Creek Village Mobile Home Park, or if she should just move back in. FEMA says storage problems are delaying the removal process. Only a little more than half of the 270 mobile homes of concern are gone.

"That's why more there are more here than we want because we looked at storage but not a lot of storage options," says Vince Clark, a FEMA spokesperson.

The goal is to move people like Oberembt and their belongings immediately from one mobile home to another following proper inspections. Oberembt says the wait is frustrating, and it's causing security concerns.

"I wasn't worried until I found out yesterday there are trailers being broken into," says Oberembt.

FEMA couldn't comment on any specific incidents, but says it's a common occurrence following natural disasters.

"Every disaster I have been to that always becomes an issue at some extent," says Clark.

Oberembt looks forward to finding that same stability she had when she first moved into a mobile home. FEMA hopes to have her safely living with the 70 other flood families in Marion mobile homes soon.

FEMA says some families chose to stay in the mobile homes with the exterior water heater compartment, despite their warnings. Those people eventually will have to move when FEMA brings in replacement mobile homes.