On Tuesday, Sept. 5, at 3:45 p.m. A line of strong storms moved through Kossuth County triggering activation of a tornado warning. A trained storm spotter in the Hobarton area reported seeing a tornado touch down southwest of Hobarton. The National Weather Service verified the touchdown on Thursday.
This strong storm system included heavy rain which inundated the storm sewer systems in several communities in Kossuth County. Wednesday, Algona Mayor, Lynn Kueck issued a local disaster proclamation which, authorized under Iowa State Statute and will execute the expenditure of emergency funds from all available sources, the invoking mutual aid agreements and applying to the State of Iowa for assistance.
At the request of the Cities of Algona, and Burt the Kossuth County Emergency Management Agency is distributing flood cleanup buckets to assist residents with the water in their homes. Kossuth County Emergency Management has requested The Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.
The City of Algona will be picking up debris from this event and are asking citizens to pull all damaged material to the curbside for pick up on Monday, Sept. 10. Please separate out: appliances, and electronics. Any household chemicals should be taken to the Kossuth County transfer station directly.
