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Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism - Explanatory and Investigative Journalism in Iowa

Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism (https://caucus.iowawatch.org/tag/natural-disasters/)

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natural disasters

mental health

How to heal emotional wounds after disaster

By Jamie Smith Hopkins / Center for Public Integrity | August 25, 2020

We heard from more than 200 disaster survivors and people helping them. Here’s what we learned. The Center for Public Integrity, Columbia Journalism Investigations and our partners in newsrooms around the country, including IowaWatch, have been reporting on this for months. We’ve learned a lot by asking experts: people who’ve lived through disasters and the professionals who study this or provide hands-on help. More than 230 shared their experiences in our detailed survey, and we interviewed dozens of additional people.

Derecho

Evans: Today’s leaders could learn from Terry Branstad

By Randy Evans / Stray Thoughts | August 17, 2020

Regardless of what you think of his political positions, Terry Branstad knew instinctively what being governor entailed. A core duty is looking out for people when they most need help after a disaster. Branstad’s skill, and the skill of local officials, too, was on display in the summer of 1993 in the hours after one of the biggest natural disasters to hit Des Moines. Unfortunately, last week’s devastating storm through Iowa’s midsection showed that today’s state and local government leaders lack some of those instincts Branstad used effectively. Early in the morning of July 11, 1993, three days after torrential storms dumped 8 to 10 inches of rain northwest of Des Moines, the Raccoon River carried that water over the top of the levee surrounding the city’s water treatment plant.

Flooding

News21 State Of Emergency Episode 4: A Rising Threat

By Molly Duerig, director/News21 | September 24, 2019

Unprecedented events are catching farmers and small towns unprepared. The finale in News21’s State of Emergency documentary series.

disaster recovery

News 21 State Of Emergency Episode 3: The New Normal

By Dustin Patar, director/News21 | September 17, 2019

Wildfires are becoming an ever more present threat and forcing communities in the western United States to learn to live with them. Episode 3 of News21’s State of Emergency series.

mental health

‘It Follows Them Forever’: Interest In Storm Survivors’ Mental Health Increases

By Sarah Beth Guevara and Katie Hunger/News21 | August 28, 2019

Research shows that recovery from natural disasters needs to go deeper than repairing homes and communities. Survivors need mental health help too.

natural disasters

After The Deluge: Historic Floods Spell Trouble For Farmers, Rural Communities, The Nation

By Anya Magnuson and Molly Duerig/News21 | August 25, 2019

Even after record flooding in the Midwest, people with ties to the land — whose livelihoods depend on living close to waterways — don’t want to move.

Environment

Displacement After Disasters: When There’s No Place To Call Home

By Rachel Farrell and Stacy Fernández/News21 | August 19, 2019

In the last decade, natural disasters have displaced nearly 7.3 million Americans leaving them in hotels, trailers, strangers homes, and some — on the streets. This News21 story includes reporting from Iowa.

natural disasters

Out Of Sight Is Out Of Mind: Small Communities Like Marshalltown, Iowa, Struggle To Cope In The Shadow Of Larger Disasters

By Justine Coleman and Isaac Windes/News21 | August 15, 2019

A News21 analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency data shows those smaller disasters accounted for more than 60 percent of all federally declared disasters between 2003 and 2018 but received at least $57.3 billion less in public assistance from FEMA.

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The Iowa Center’s mission is to maintain an independent, non-partisan journalistic program dedicated to producing and encouraging explanatory and investigative journalism in Iowa, engaging in collaborative reporting efforts with Iowa news organizations and educating journalism students. Read More »

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Investigative Reporting in Iowa

Census takers in Iowa sound the alarm about technology, training deficiencies

Iowa's census workers say they fear their count won't be accurate because of poor training, technology problems and other concerns during a troublesome 2020.

Source: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Worst dicamba damage in decades

Damage the herbicide dicamba has done to soybeans and trees is the worst seen since the controversial weed killer hit the market in the 1960s.

Source: The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, IA)

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