Feenstra

B eginning on March 24, we observed Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa. Every year, this week serves as an important reminder of the precautions that we should all take to keep ourselves and our families safe. Stocking up on bottled water, keeping flashlights and batteries in accessible areas, and having an emergency plan are just a few examples of common safety measures. Prioritizing safety plans and procedures today will help mitigate the impacts of tomorrow’s severe weather challenges that we will undoubtedly face.

From tornadoes and floods to high winds and blizzards, Iowans know severe weather. Last summer alone, our communities in Western Iowa were hit by catastrophic floods and destructive tornadoes that devastated homes, businesses, hospitals, farms, schools, and other structures. Iowans are resilient, but the rebuilding process is time-consuming and expensive. It’s why I’m working to implement proactive and cost-effective strategies that help protect our communities, homes, farmland, and infrastructure from flooding.

While we need rapid emergency response to floods, we also need to take proactive measures to protect farmland and our rural communities from devastation and equip our producers with the tools that they need to safeguard their land from excessive water damage. From 1980 to 2024, there have been more than 8 flooding events in Iowa with losses exceeding $1 billion and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that the total costs of these events reach anywhere between $20 billion and $50 billion. Iowa agriculture alone sees crop losses, on average, of $230 million a year due to flooding.

The Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act – which I introduced at the beginning of March – would improve the Emergency Watershed Protection program so that the USDA has greater flexibility to repair aging flood infrastructure, help cover the costs of needed improvements, and support farmers and rural landowners with protecting their land from flooding. By acting before floods strike, we can keep our farmland in production, save money in the long run, and help our rural communities mitigate and respond to flooding.

I was also recently recognized as a Federal Champion by the American Flood Coalition – an organization that works at the local, state, and federal levels to encourage meaningful flood resiliency and response efforts – for my work to give our families and communities the tools and resources that they need to not only recover from disasters but also invest in safeguards that protect our land and property. Born and raised in rural Iowa, I will continue to support policies that help our communities prepare for and respond to flooding and other destructive storms.

Alongside this legislation to invest in flood mitigation efforts and help protect Iowa farmland and rural communities from flooding, I additionally led two pieces of legislation to improve our nation’s weather radar and communications networks. On the one hand, my National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act would modernize the National Weather Service’s (NWS) outdated communications network – NWS Chat – which disseminates critical, time-sensitive information to broadcasters, emergency managers, and the general public during severe weather events. On the other hand, my Weather Innovation for the Next Generation Act would require NWS to coordinate with the Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and establish an R&D program to improve weather radar detection and prediction capabilities when physical structures like wind turbines obstruct radar line of sight. These two bills will help deliver accurate forecasts and quick warnings for Iowans all while protecting our families, supporting our farmers, safeguarding property, and saving lives.

As a father of four and a former storm watcher during my time as City Administrator in my hometown of Hull, keeping our families safe is personal and important to me. By helping our farmers protect their farmland from the devastating consequences of flooding and ensuring that our communities receive timely and accurate weather information from trusted sources, we can stay safe, appropriately prepare for severe weather, and respond to Mother Nature’s unpredictable actions.

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Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.