Linn County residents impacted by the derecho are encouraged to complete the needs assessment questionnaire developed by community agencies including Linn County Public Health, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, HACAP, Waypoint, and other community partners. The information collected in this questionnaire will be used to identify needs that still exist following the derecho and may be shared with partner agencies in order to allocate resources. Help can include disaster case management.
The questionnaire can be completed online at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/db87ccf448234339b4de03af4dd36827. Anyone without internet access can call 319-892-6070 for help completing the questionnaire.
This questionnaire is similar to the one provided by the cities of Cedar Rapids and Marion in the days following the derecho. A question has been added to assess the needs of rural residents.
“We know that the needs of rural residents can be different from those who live in cities,” said RaeAnn Gordon, director of the ISU Extension and Outreach for Linn County. “This questionnaire will help ISU Extension and Outreach staff and our county partners identify needs of the rural community in the post-disaster recovery process.”
However, the questionnaire is not limited to rural Linn County residents. Any Linn County resident can submit their responses. A network of community organizations, known as My Care Community, are working together to help meet the various needs of residents during this time of recovery. A member of the My Care Community will contact people who request help and who include their contact information.
“We know derecho recovery needs still exist in our community,” said Kaitlin Emrich, assessment and health promotion supervisor with Linn County Public Health and member of the My Care Community network. “In the immediate aftermath of the storm, people didn’t always know what kind of help they needed, and they are now becoming aware of their longer-term needs. This questionnaire will help identify those needs and help our partner agencies allocate appropriate resources to help meet those needs.”
For further assistance with non-emergency derecho needs:
- Call Waypoint at 319-366-7999 to request assistance with housing, household damage, or debris cleanup needs.
- Call HACAP at 319-739-0056 for other derecho recovery needs.