Some households impacted by recent severe weather and flooding in the Cedar Valley could be eligible for financial assistance. On Tuesday (July 1, 2014), Governor Terry Branstad declared a disaster emergency proclamation for Black Hawk and five other Iowa counties.

The governor's proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of storms and flooding that began on June 26th. The proclamation also means several counties will be able to utilize the state's individual assistance program, which offers grants of up to $5,000 to certain low-income households.

The grants are available for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,580 for a family of three. The grants can be used for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing.

Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation (July 1st) to submit a claim through the Iowa Department of Human Services. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery.

Governor Branstad toured parts of Northeast Iowa on Tuesday to get a first-hand look at the damage caused by intense storms that moved across the state on Monday. The National Weather Service says the storms spawned at least four tornadoes, the strongest of which hit Traer and parts of rural Tama County.

Other counties included in the governor's disaster proclamation were Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Louisa and Muscatine. On Monday, Branstad issued a similar proclamation for five other counties -- Adair, Cedar, Guthrie, Jones and Linn.

More From 97.7 KCRR