Heritage Emergency National Task Force
Midwest Flooding Conference Call
July 11, 2008
Larry Reger of Heritage Preservation convened the call and requested updates on damage from flooding by state, as well as information on current funding and response initiatives. Midwest states on the call included Iowa and Wisconsin.
FEMA Update. Alan Aiches of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that FEMA is working with local organizations in Iowa, and are still evaluating historic properties. Joint Field Offices (JFOs) have been established in every state with a Presidential disaster declaration. There was a new declaration made for Kansas on July 9. Additional declarations for Minnesota and Michigan are expected.
Iowa. Cyndi Sweet of the Iowa Museum Association (IMA) stated that there are no new damage reports. The Iowa Museum Association has supplies coming in to both of its established depots, as well as a PayPal account so that monetary donations can be accepted. IMA is also preparing a special edition of its newsletter dedicated to the flood, which will be available in print and on the IMA Web site.
Jerome Thompson of the State Historical Society of Iowa said he had no new damage reports. He noted that Humanities Iowa sent $30,000 in relief funds to various institutions, including the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa, and Fort Madison. A complete list is available at www.uiowa.edu/~humiowa.
Iowa Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) Barbara Mitchell reported that her staff has been working with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Cedar Rapids city council, and trustees of Brucemore to set up workshops for homeowners and volunteers to help them deal with flood damage. The owner of the Alvin Miller house in Charles City cannot restore the house and is currently working with the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy to find an appropriate, preservation-minded buyer. There is the additional concern that the city might take the land to expand an adjacent park.
Wisconsin. There were no new damage reports from Wisconsin. Clean up and recovery efforts are under way.
Funding and Response Initiatives. Elizabeth Joffrion from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) reported that NEH has already awarded several emergency grants and more are in the pipeline. NEH is still accepting inquiries and requests for awards. A list of recipients will be posted at www.neh.gov soon, and any questions can be directed to Elizabeth at 202-606-8570.
The Association of Midwest Museums and the Iowa Museum Association have both set up funds so that they are able to accept donations.
Eryl Wentworth of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) reported that AIC has one response team at Fort Madison in Iowa, and that they have been sending supplies as requested to specific museums. Additional response teams are available to assist institutions that request aid.
Martha Catlin from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) reported that ACHP is working with Steven Hardegen from FEMA on Programmatic Agreements for affected states.
Next Steps. Several museum associations, including the Iowa Museum Association, the Association of Midwest Museums, and the American Association of Museums, will feature sessions devoted to lessons learned from the Midwest flooding at upcoming annual meetings. Insights and materials stemming from these sessions can serve as resources for future events that affect cultural heritage.
Larry Reger asked the Midwest organizations and agencies that have been participating in the conference calls to let him know if another call would be beneficial. He encouraged participants to continue posting reports at www.heritagepreservation.org.
