USDA Rural Development Awards More Than $2.8 Million to Support Tornado Disaster Recovery in Iowa

(Des Moines, Iowa, September 14, 2026) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Iowa State Director Mike Sexton today announced that the agency is awarding more than $2.8 million in grants to four projects to promote clean water and improve critical infrastructure in two rural Iowa communities.

"USDA Rural Development supports rural Iowa residents, businesses, and communities impacted by disasters by helping them with long-term recovery and planning efforts," said Sexton. "Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Rollins, USDA is helping disaster-stricken communities bounce back by supporting essential infrastructure projects."

"When tornadoes devastated Minden and Greenfield in 2024, I flew home from Washington to see firsthand where federal resources were needed most and promised these communities we would have their backs," said U.S. Representative Zach Nunn. "In the two years since, we've strengthened disaster recovery and expanded real-time flood and drought monitoring across all 21 counties in Iowa's Third District. Now, USDA's investment of over $2.8 million will help rebuild the critical infrastructure families rely on every day, from clean water and emergency services to fire protection and severe weather warning systems. This investment is another step toward making Iowa's rural communities stronger and safer for years to come."

Project details:

• The city of Minden received a $844,000 grant through the Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grants - Disaster program and a $1 million grant through the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program to recover from the disaster of April 26, 2024, when a tornado tore through the community located in Pottawattamie County and destroyed the water treatment plant. This project will build a new water treatment facility. The city is currently leasing a temporary plant until the replacement can be constructed and brought online.

• The Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield received a $421,800 grant through the Community Facilities Grants program to recover from the disaster of May 21, 2024, when an EF-4 tornado tore through the community, wreaking widespread destruction. This project will utilize disaster assistance funding to replace the hospital's emergency medical services building which was destroyed in the disaster. The project will also include tuck pointing the hospital's exterior brick walls, painting some interior walls, and replacing the damaged surgical air handler. Once completed, the project will restore critical public safety measures and ensure emergency response needs can be met for the residents and visitors of Adair County.

• The Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield received a $390,000 grant, disaster assistance funding through the Community Facilities Grants program, to replace one of the hospital's ambulances. The hospital's emergency medical services building was destroyed during the May 2024 tornado disaster, and ambulances were relocated to a site which could not be properly climate-controlled for medication storage requirements. During the emergency response to the disaster, ambulances were needed for extended periods of time, increasing engine hours and accelerating wear.

• The city of Greenfield received a $226,000 grant through the Community Facilities Grants program to help recover from the disaster of May 21, 2024, when an EF-4 tornado tore through the community wreaking widespread damage. This disaster-assistance-funded project will help reconstruct the municipal fire station and replace the city's outdoor warning sirens. The project will restore critical public safety measures and provide timely alerts during severe weather events.
  

For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway . The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making investment data accessible to the public.

To learn more about these programs, call 515-284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia . If you would like updates from USDA Rural Development, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page and follow us on X at @RD_Iowa .

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