DES MOINES, Iowa — After the deadly Winterset tornado in 2022, Mark Carlson felt moved to join the American Red Cross. He's now helping Iowans and Nebraskans piece their lives together after last Friday's severe weather.
"We've been seeing every level of damage you can imagine from the tree damage, but the homes weren't damaged all the way to completely demolished," Carlson said.
Carlson isn't alone, as 99 other volunteers and staff are working with the affected individuals and communities.
Red Cross representative Emily Holley wants people to know even after being close to a week out from the storm, help is still needed.
"The dust settled if you will, and so they're seeing all of the all of the work that's ahead and that can be tiring," she said.
On top of a long road to recovery, Carlson has noticed some Iowans haven't even received a hand yet.
"We visited some homes yesterday in Pottawattamie County that hadn't been serviced yet from Friday's storm. So, they were so grateful to see us because they had absolutely nothing left, " Carlson said.
Another roadblock some are facing is insurance assessments.
"We had a farm family that we visited yesterday. and they've gone through four days of extreme stress trying to deal with recovering from the storm. But their insurance adjuster won't be out there to complete the assessment until May 8. So they've got a whole another week to wait," Carlson told Local 5.
The Red Cross has issued cases of water, food and recovery supplies throughout the state and they aren't done yet.
"Here in Polk County, we've actually assessed 400 residences that have been impacted by the storms. So, we're making sure that those folks are getting what they need," Holley said.
On a national scale, the Iowa and Nebraska chapters of the Red Cross have a team of mental health specialists who go around with volunteers offering their support and services to the communities affected.
"When tornadoes hit or hurricanes or wildfires they go, and often times they will follow volunteers out doing that damage assessment," Holley said. "And they will speak to folks who have been impacted to make sure that they're taking care of themselves."
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday requested an expedited Presidential Disaster Declaration for nine Iowa counties that sustained serious damage last week. Reynolds requested funding under FEMA for homeowners, renters and businesses to maximize recovery efforts.
The governor has already issued a disaster proclamation for the nine counties:
- Clarke
- Crawford
- Harrison
- Mills
- Polk
- Pottawattamie
- Ringgold
- Shelby
- Union