Editor's Note: This news item was retrieved and first published through WOWT News' website.
FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa - WOWT, a news outlet in Omaha, Neb., reports that Waubonsie State Park in nearby Fremont County, Iowa, is seeking reimbursement from FEMA for revenues lost when the park welcomed victims of the widespread flooding of the region this spring. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which manages the park, allowed those displaced by flood waters to camp for free while they looked for new accommodations. The free campsites ended up costing the state tens of thousands of dollars for the utilities used and in lost revenue from regular summer visitors, since flood victims were occupying most of the park’s 25 electric sites.
The
park is now preparing for the winter, turning off water and closing the dump
station and bathhouse facilities. Five campsites are still occupied by flood
victims and they’ve been notified they have to leave soon or pay for off-season
camping. “At this time the Iowa DNR has not received any FEMA reimbursement for
the offset of utility cost for housing displaced flood victims this
summer," County Board Chairman Terry Graham told WOWT. “However, the
department continues to work with FEMA to determine eligibility for disaster
recovery.”