Long-Term Disaster Recovery planning group works on forming in Mahaska County

Rebecca Falck (left) speaks with those in attendance at the first Long-Term Disaster Recovery meeting

The first meeting that will help to Organize the Mahaska County Long-Term Disaster Recovery Organization met at Noon Wednesday March 9, 2011 on the 3rd floor of the Oskaloosa Public Library.

What is long-term recovery, and why is it important to Mahaska County?

Those agencies and organizations that help affected persons and communities to have plans, resources and the organizational structure in place to help for the extended recovery. Long term recovery goes beyond the initial cleanup and immediate relief to helping rebuild homes and lives that may last weeks and years after a disaster.

After some introductions of those in attendance, Rebecca Falck began to describe what Long-Term Recovery will be about, why it’s needed. She is employed by SEIDA and is on the LTDR board for Wapello County.

Since the recent disasters SEIDA has been working with various agencies to help provide services to those that suffered losses during recent flooding, and with using those experiences to help provide more knowledge and resources to Mahaska County in the event of a future disaster.

Those in attendance agreed to continue forward  with the group, and settled upon a mission statement for the group, moving on to making sure all the right agencies are involved and figuring out which one’s that were not there that should be invited to the next meeting.