CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds wrote back Friday against criticism that she had been slow to respond to a windstorm that destroyed the state and promised more help soon for tens of thousands of residents struggling through their fifth day without electricity.
Reynolds said 100 members of the Iowa National Guard on Friday in Cedar Rapids came too hard to clear tree lands that blocked many downed powerlines.
She said she has commitments from the state’s largest utilities that customers in Cedar Rapids and other areas must restore their power by Tuesday, if not earlier. Many others, including those in the Des Moines area, need to be online again this weekend, she said.
Reynolds, a Republican, said on Monday she would file the state’s application for a federal disaster declaration after making mandatory assessments for damages. She said President Donald Trump has promised to act quickly to provide federal resources once that is approved.
The storm, known as a derecho, swept through Iowa on Monday with winds of up to 100 mph, blowing trees and power lines, destroying a third or more of the state’s corn fields, and damaging homes and businesses. At least three people in Iowa and one in Indiana were killed.
Cedar Rapids, the second-largest city in the state, has been hit hardest, with officials calling the devastation more widespread than a historic 2008 flood that devastated downtown neighborhoods.
About 65,000 customers in the Cedar Rapids area were left without power, and 100,000 more across the state. Alliant Energy said it expects to replace 2,500 damaged wrists in a week – work that would normally take eight months.
Reynolds said the Iowa National Guard was not sent to Cedar Rapids earlier because the state did not receive a request for help from local officials until Thursday.
Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Benjamin Corell acknowledged that many residents had asked about his absence this week, but said the guard would not send troops until his mission is clear. He said the focus of the guard was to coordinate with utilities to clear trees and restore power.
“Were here. We’re ready to go on,” he said Friday. “We will clean this mess.”
Several residents and a Democratic congresswoman representing the area have criticized Reynolds for not moving faster.
Particularly blistering was a statement issued by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents workers at Cedar Rapids’ large food production factories, saying its members “lived in a war zone.”
“Too many Iovans are suffering and it is unacceptable for them to live without electricity, many are unable to work. Falling trees are blocking roads for families to get necessities,” said Union President Stuart Appelbaum. “It’s awful.”
Reynolds said she took action, among other things, by issuing a statement for state disasters that provides some subsidies to low-income residents. She toured the area and spoke with Trump on Wednesday during his campaign visit to Iowa and with Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday.
“Everyone is doing the best they can,” Reynolds told a news conference at a Cedar Rapids fire station.
Several residents said they are struggling to meet basic needs while already suffering from the coronavirus pandemic.
Ella Shears, 53, said the storm flooded her kitchen and bathroom and knocked out her power. She said she should throw away $ 200 worth that was spoiled and did not know when her next meal will come.
Shears said she could not charge her cell phone, and showed her no way to communicate. Her apartment on the third floor is hot, so she sits outside in the shade of trees that have not been cut down.
Shears said Wendy’s restaurant, where she is a cashier, is closed. She is discontinuing medication she is taking for heart problems, and is worrying about how she will get them again.
‘It’s just sad. I never thought I would see this, ”she said. “It’s a fight.”
Eric Fish, 33, said he had not been able to cook a hot meal for the past three days and had eaten peanut butter sandwiches. He said the only help he received was from a city worker who helped cut down a large tree branch outside his house.
‘Almost no week. Massive mess like everyone else. No help. We lose every piece of food, “he said Friday.
Cecil Gott, 54, said his house sustained damage to windows, roof and walls. He advised the city to buy a chainsaw that he used to remove tree trunks from his neighborhood.
“We really need the Iowa National Guard here,” he said. “If more people came out to help, we would get our power back sooner.”
Jeffrey Frajman, 66, said he and his neighbors in a low-income apartment complex are desperate for power to return and for roads to be cleared.
“People are getting angry,” he said, “we need some action and we need it now.”
