City of Le Mars Recognized as Iowa's Latest Project Impact Community  

Release Date: July 31, 2000
Release Number: R7-00-25

» 2000 Region VII News Releases

KSANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Le Mars, Iowa this week formally celebrates becoming Iowa's most recent community to join Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities, an initiative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that aims to change the way America deals with disasters.

A signing ceremony to officially welcome Le Mars into the program will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, 2000, at the Century Hall located at the Plymouth County fairgrounds. FEMA Region VII Acting Regional Director Arthur L. Freeman and Steve Zimmerman, Chief, Mitigation/Recovery Bureau of the Iowa Emergency Management Division will be among the governmental and community partners present for the ceremony.

"Le Mars has identified through an assessment of natural and man-made risks and hazards that flooding is the city's number one concern, and through this partnership among governmental entities, businesses and private citizens, we believe the impact of future disasters can and will be reduced," Freeman said. "The community already has taken great steps to move toward becoming more disaster resistant."

Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities is a national FEMA initiative that encourages communities to take steps to lessen the impact of a disaster before it strikes. These steps can include actions such as developing contingency plans that will keep businesses up and running, helping citizens with their own disaster preparedness including safe rooms and buyout or relocation of homes and businesses within the floodplain.

The City of Le Mars feels strongly about mitigation. The building of the Century Exhibit Hall/Safe Shelter is just one example of the City's approach to building a disaster resistant community. The city has already identified all public and critical facilities as well as residential and commercial property subject to natural or man made hazards and risks.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Dec-2003 17:22:56