Gov. Chet Culver

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on Friday asked the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to consider 82 counties in a Secretarial Disaster Designation due to damaged plants and production losses in 2008.

Iowa State Emergency Board members met Aug. 12 in Des Moines to review damage assessments and loss reports from county officials.

Clay and Palo Alto Counties were included in the declaration request. Buena Vista, Dickinson, Emmet, O'Brien and Osceola counties were part of a cluster of 17 counties that avoided some of the most serious damage and were not included in the request.

Residents in counties that are contiguous to a disaster area can have access to same federal assistance from the USDA. The additional assistance includes permanent disaster programs created in the 2008 Farm Bill.

Culver made the request due to severe storms, flooding and tornadoes beginning on May 25 and ending on Aug. 13.

"In communities large and small, Iowans have come together with strength, and with resilience," Culver said in a statement about the disaster request. "Now, in the wake of the floods, it's time to make sure we do all we can to help our farmers, who feed and fuel our state and country. The damage to our state's agricultural sector is in the billions of dollars. That's why I have asked (Agriculture) Secretary (Ed) Schafer for this additional disaster designation, and also why I am looking forward to the administration's quick response."

Iowans are encouraged to contact their local FSA office for more information about federal assistance programs.