Relief efforts underway after tornadoes sweep through Iowa

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Iowa state officials say help is on the way for the dozens of families impacted by this weekend's tornadoes.

John Benson, the director of Iowa's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, says his agency is on the ground and ready to help after a series of deadly tornadoes swept through Iowa Saturday.

"Just seeing the concentration of devastation … it's heartbreaking," Benson said. "They're struggling through a very tough time, our job is to support them."

Benson says disaster grants and case managers are now available to help those impacted, "to help them navigate through the recovery process."

He says because of the strong winds, which reached up to 160 miles per hour, at least 50 homes were impacted. He expects that number to go up in the coming days.

"Probably going to have 100 homes across the entire state impacted," he said.

The White House says President Joe Biden was briefed on the impact of the tornadoes Sunday morning and reached out to the governor directly. The administration now remains on standby to determine if federal assistance is needed.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, says he spoke with the Biden Administration on Sunday about federal aid.

"There has to be certain thresholds that have to be met," Grassley said. "We're going to have to monitor the situation."

In the meantime, he says volunteers are lending a helping hand.

"A lot of private nonprofits like Red Cross, Samaritan's Purse, my church in Cedar Falls," Grassley said.

Benson says that's helping a devastated community push forward.

"They are literally showing up by busloads," Benson said. "That is a huge moral boost, not only for the folks that were impacted but by those first responders. … It creates a community sense of, let's get this done."