DAVENPORT, IOWA (Aug. 19, 2020) — The City of Davenport is strong because of caring citizens and neighbors, city staff, and partner agencies. One week and a little more than a day ago, a Derecho with winds topping 100 mph came through scattering trees and debris across the City, knocking out power to nearly 60,000 properties, and changing the way many lived and worked for several days. We are pleased with our community’s response and resilience when faced with challenges.

So how are things looking today, a little over a week later after the Aug. 10 Derecho? That is a good question, with much to report.

As of today, MidAmerican Energy Company has restored power to all properties in Davenport that lost power in the storm.  City crews are continuing to work seven days a week sunrise to sunset to clean up as quickly as possible.

The State of Iowa opened up Individual Assistance grants to help residents recover from the storm. Information about the program and resources are available at https://www.scottcountyiowa.gov/ema/post/press-release-assistance-available-individuals-need-due-august-10-severe-weather-event. In addition, a Federal Disaster Declaration has opened up funding and resources to the City to help with storm recovery.

Tree debris cleanup continues, there remains a long way to go. It will take time and patience with nearly 60,000 cubic yards collected and an estimated 120,000 cubic yards or more out there. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

•  Crews have been dispatched to work in zones across the City simultaneously.
•  If a crew comes through and does not collect all of the debris placed at the curb, don’t worry. Likely, the team was not equipped to manage the type or size of debris set, and a larger piece of equipment will be scheduled to return.
• Tree debris may be placed at the curb in the right-of-way for collection or in the alley. We cannot collect tree debris from private property.
• Property owners are also welcome to drop off yard wastes at the Davenport Compost Facility for free through Aug. 28.  Please do not add to piles or drop off yard wastes where we are staging tree debris. Some level of sorting and accounting has to occur for processing. These locations are temporary staging for city crews only. 

Recovery is also taking place at several city facilities. All golf courses are now open following the storm; however, Emeis is only open on the front nine.  Vander Veer Botanical Park is open while crews continue with cleanup. Due to power failure, the ice rink at the River’s Edge is closed until further notice.

The City is also working on obtaining assistance with the cleanup to make things go quicker. Aid provided under the declaration will help in securing the support. A tub grinder to process all of that material collected is en route.

We remind folks to inspect their trees for “hangers” (hanging limbs) and leaning. Hangers can fall at any time, causing injury or damage. If the tree is leaning, it may have sustained root damage. Consider contracting a certified arborist to inspect your trees. Find details on selecting a contractor at www.davenportiowa.com/forestry.

As we head into the coming weeks, watch for updates on recovery. Always find the latest at www.davenportiowa.com/stormresponse.

DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 13, 2020) — City of Davenport personnel continue to remove storm debris as MidAmerican Energy works to restore power across the City requiring patience for all involved.

As of this morning, a handful of streets remain closed due to trees down on power lines. The City cannot remove these trees until MidAmerican Energy clears these trees off power lines.

A City-wide Burn Ban was issued Wednesday and will remain in effect until Aug. 28. The City will collect yard wastes from your curb. Collection will take time, please recognize the hazards associated with fire and consider your neighbors. Any burn complaint will be treated as a “No Burn Day.” Homeowners will be advised to set the leaves and/or branches out near the regular solid waste collection point.

Gov. Kim Reynolds visited with City and County Officials Wednesday afternoon and added Davenport and Scott County to a State Disaster Proclamation. The proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents and the Disaster Case Management Program. Find details on the program at https://bit.ly/2POK3No.

Residents disposing of spoiled food following this week’s storm may have more garbage than will fit in the cart so they may place an extra bag of trash on top of their cart with or without the lid closed. Be sure the extra bag is tied to ensure garbage remains contained.
Residents with more garbage will need to call public works at (563) 326-7923. Other garbage left outside of the cart will not be collected.

Emeis Golf Course remains closed while Duck Creek Golf Course’s front nine is open but the back nine is closed for cleanup with the entire course likely open for the weekend. Red Hawk Golf Course Is open. The River’s Edge is open but the ice rink is closed until further notice.

The Davenport Police Department reminds everyone to keep themselves and their darkened neighborhoods safe by locking all vehicles and home entrances. If you notice any suspicious activity in your area, please call 911. If you see something, say something.

Davenport Fire Department encourages those using temporary light and energy sources to be cautious. Only use candles in rooms that are occupied. Generators should be placed 20 feet away from your home, and never inside. Avoid putting generators near windows or door openings.

If you need to hire a contractor for tree services or property repairs following the storm, be wary of storm chasers who may knock at your door. Think locally if you need to hire a contractor. Ask for proof of trade or City licensing and insurance. Consider obtaining several detailed estimates before deciding on a contractor. Be sure to ask if there will be a charge for the estimate before you request one. Do not automatically assume that the lowest bid is the best. Find more tips at www.davenportiowa.com/stormresponse.

Public Works asks for assistance with bundling and making tree debris more manageable and speed up collection. Businesses and homeowners may place tree debris in the right-of-way for collection. Keep tree debris to lengths no longer than 5 feet and weighing less than 50 lbs. when possible. Yard waste fees and stickers are waived through Aug. 28. Yard wastes still need to be placed in a Kraft-ply bag and/or bundled for efficient collection. Tree debris may be left for later collection by different equipment if the volume is not manageable with regular yard waste collection. Please be patient as collection may take a couple of weeks.

DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 11) — Solid waste collection for today is cancelled to prioritize clearing roads for travel and support power restoration efforts from Monday’s major storm. Collection will be one day late for the remainder of the week, with Friday collection occurring on Saturday.

Davenport’s Public Works, Police and Fire departments responded to hundreds of calls for service immediately following the storm. Personnel continued to work overnight to assist MidAmerican Energy with power line dangers.

“The public should understand the debris trail from the storm is widespread and significant,” Gleason said.  “It will take time to collect everything.”

Cleanup from this storm is expected to continue for several days and the City encourages everyone to contribute to the recovery. Check-in on elderly relatives and neighbors, help where you are able, and do your best to help make debris manageable for collection.

At a briefing with Scott County Emergency Management this morning, MidAmerican Energy officials advise power restoration could take up to three or more days due to widespread and significant damage to the energy network.

Crews will begin collecting private tree debris placed at the curb after roads are clear. Be aware; it may take several days before crews arrive to collect tree debris placed at the curb for collection.

It is anticipated that bundling the volume of brush at some locations will be a hefty task for some. Yard waste bag pick up will be sticker-free through Aug. 28 to assist with cleanup. All small debris should be placed in the appropriate yard waste bags, and property owners should do their best to bundle brush for efficient collection.  Limbs placed for collection should not be longer than 5 feet or weight more than 50 lbs.

Be extra wary when traveling, and remember to treat intersections with dark signals as a four-way stop. Take your time. Don’t drive around barricades. There are still downed power lines and hazardous construction drop-offs.

Beware of predatory contractors, including roving, out of town individuals going door to door to solicit services:

• Take the time to check references or otherwise vet any contractor. Ask for proof of the contractor’s licensing and insurance. You can call (563) 326-7745 to verify building licenses, and (563) 326-7715 to verify business license for tree care companies.
• For damage to overhead power lines to your home or business, check with the utility or your local building department to determine who is responsible for cleanup.
• Anyone with questions about damage to their property should consult their insurance company.

For more information on this and other storm recovery resources visit www.davenportiowa.com/stormresponse.

• September 3, 2020
  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from Scott County Emergency Management
  
  FEMA Individual Assistance Guidance for Scott County Residents
  
  Scott County, Iowa – Homeowners and renters in Scott County, as well as 9 additional counties in Iowa, may now apply for FEMA Individual Assistance for losses resulting from the severe storms on Aug. 10, 2020.
  
  Assistance provided by FEMA for homeowners can include grants for repairs to make their primary home habitable. Rental assistance is available to pay for temporary housing for homeowners and renters. Lodging expense reimbursement may be available to eligible households who may have stayed in a hotel for a short period of time.
  
  FEMA assistance can also help with other disaster-related needs like replacing essential household items, and medical and dental expenses.
  
  Federal FEMA Individual Assistance
  Homeowners are encourage to contact your insurance company and file a claim for the disaster-caused damage you’ve suffered. Homeowners do not need to wait for approval from FEMA to begin cleaning up their property, but be sure to take photographs or video of the damage and keep all receipts for repair work.
  
  Homeowners with losses not covered by insurance or losses in excess of what was covered by the state of Iowa’s Individual Assistance program may be eligible for federal individual assistance through FEMA.
  
  Applicants will need the following to apply. All required documents can be uploaded at DisasterAssistance.gov:

• Address of the damaged property
• Description of disaster-caused damage and losses
• Current mailing address
• Current telephone number
• Social Security number of one member of the household
• Insurance information
• Total household annual income
• Bank account routing and account number for direct deposit
• Save your FEMA registration number, also known as FEMA ID number.
• Check your DisasterAssistance.gov account for updates

Applying for Assistance

Survivors can apply for assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 for TTY users. Users of 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS) may call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week, until further notice. Survivors may register online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. At this time, there will not be a local in-person presence for applying for assistance.

Home Inspections and COVID-19

If you reported that you cannot or may not be able to safely live in your home, it may be necessary for FEMA to perform an inspection of the damaged dwelling.

Due to the COVID-19 nationwide emergency and the need to protect the safety and health of all Americans, some FEMA inspections may be conducted remotely.

For remote inspections, FEMA inspectors will contact applicants by phone to answer questions about the type and extent of damage sustained. Remote inspections provide a new way of evaluating damage; it is comparable to traditional, in-person inspections and expedites the delivery of recovery assistance to survivors based on their
eligibility.

Survivors with minimal damage who can live in their homes will not automatically be scheduled for a home inspection when applying for FEMA assistance. Instead, they will receive a letter from FEMA explaining that they may call the FEMA Helpline to request an inspection if they find significant disaster-caused damage to their home after they have applied.

Preliminary damage assessments are ongoing and other counties may be designated later for Individual Assistance.

If you have any questions, you can always contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. For TTY call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay Service please call 800-621-3362.

# # #
For more information on the Iowa disaster and a variety of recovery resources, log on to: iowa.gov/disasterassistance-programs and www.disasterrecovery.iowa.gov.

08/25/20

Currently, rough estimates indicate we have collected around 60,000 to 70,000 cubic yards, and have another 50,000 to 100,000 cubic yards still out there waiting for collection.

This may make you wonder what we are going to do with all that tree debris collected. Not as simple as you might think. Most of what has been collected is contaminated with plastics, making it generally unsuitable for mulch use. Mulch also requires more processing than the larger wood chips we are rendering with our rented tub grinder. 

Why grind the debris then you might ask?  Grinding is helping us find options for the material by reducing it to a more manageable and transportable size for alternative uses. Some will be recycled into other mulch products after reprocessing. Some will be repurposed as ground cover at the landfill, and we are still looking at other options as the volume of debris continues to grow. 

Tree services, property repair, restoration, and improvement can be costly. Sometimes dishonest people will use repair schemes to defraud consumers.

Consider the following when selecting a contractor.

• Think locally.
• Ask for proof of licensing. Verify that the contractor is licensed by the City, bonded, and insured. Call the Building Department 563.326.7745 to verify building-related licenses.  Call Finance at 563.326.7715 to verify a tree care company holds a City business license.
• Ask for proof liability insurance.
• Consider obtaining several detailed estimates before deciding on a contractor.  Be sure to ask first to see if there will be a charge for the estimate.  Do not automatically assume that the lowest bid is the best.
• After you decide on a contractor, get an agreement in writing with a written guarantee.
• Be sure all labor and materials are listed in detail.
• Remember, you do not have to talk to anyone on the telephone or in-person.  You do not have to let people into your home.
• Do not give your credit card or bank account information to anyone you have not done business with before. Pay by check, never cash.  Arrange to make payments in installments but only for work that is completed.
• Do not be high pressured into a decision.
• Ask for, and check on, references.  Keep in mind that certain references may be working cooperatively with the company.
• Take pictures if necessary.
  
  If you believe you have experienced fraud, call the State Attorney General's Office at 1-515-281-5164 for immediate assistance.  You should report all cases of suspicious offers or fraudulent deals.

• Need virtual connections?  The Davenport Libraries have free WiFi. Find more details at this link.

• Lock it Up. We know many Davenport neighborhoods will be without power for the next few nights and it will be darker than usual. Remember to keep your neighborhood safe by locking all vehicles and home entrances. If you notice any suspicious activity in your neighborhood, please call 9-1-1. We are here to keep you safe Davenport. If you see something, say something.

• Take precautions when using temporary light and energy sources.  
  • Only use candles in rooms that you are occupying.
  • Generators should be 20ft away from your home and never inside.
  • Avoid putting generators near windows or door openings.

• The City will collect building materials that fit in your solid waste cart. Building materials larger than the cart will need to be taken to the landfill or disposed of through other collection arrangements.