Gov. Terry Branstad, accompanied by State Director of Emergency Management Ellen Gordon, was in Ames Wednesday to discuss this week’s flood damage with Story County officials and other local authorities. The group met in the Ames City Hall.

Several members of the Story County Emergency Management Agency briefed the governor on the damage to Story County as a result of the floods. Officials reported that because of the early response by citizens, the city probably avoided millions of dollars of damage to South Duff Avenue.

Authorities also said that individual flood walls quickly constructed by businesses such as Happy Joe’s on South Duff can greatly reduce flood damage. The flood walls, which can be constructed in about an hour, cost $25,000.

Story County is trying to create a cost-share arrangement with the State that would provide funds for flood walls. If the agreement is made, Story County businesses that are susceptible to flood damage would be able to buy flood walls partially funded by the State and the County. Story County officials believe this agreement would help businesses take a stance against further flood destruction.

Lori Morrissey, the Story County emergency management coordinator, said that 20-25 homes throughout Story County were damaged. It was also reported that an estimated $250,000 in damage was caused to Story County roads and bridges.

Morrissey presented Branstad with a request for a presidential declaration of disaster. The declaration would provide federal funding for Ames and Story County to combat the flood damage.

After the meeting, Branstad examined flood damage at the home of Debbie Ploger. Ploger’s home in north Ames was one of the hardest hit in Arrasmith trailer court.

“Emotionally I’m fine. I’m mad because everything I have is tied up here. This property has been in my family since the early 1950s,” Ploger said. Ploger owns two houses that were damaged in the Arrasmith area.

The governor also toured Todd & Sargent Inc., also in the Arrasmith area. Branstad talked with the president and C.E.O. of Todd & Sargent, Lee Sargent.

Sargent said, “We got hit about 12 inches worse than we did in ’93. If we would have had defenses up we could have handled the water.”

Sargent told Branstad that they had several pumps running and that the company was in partial operation. “We will survive,” he said.

Sargent had some thoughts on why his property suffered so much damage.

“I honestly believe the new bridge on Riverside Road about one-fourth mile south of here and the raised road level has put a bottleneck in the Skunk River, and that is why we are seeing such a dramatic change in the water levels.” Sargent said. He said his business has no flood insurance.

Branstad had a few encouraging words for Story County residents. “I want to give a lot of credit to Story County and their efforts at being prepared and warning people, and that, I think, helped a great deal. There was tremendous cooperation from the Red Cross and community volunteers. It really shows the spirit that is here in Iowa and in Story County — the way the people pull together in an emergency like this.”

Branstad, however, was not as quick to promise a presidential declaration of emergency. “I don’t know. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will bring in a team to do a preliminary assessment of the damage. We just don’t know at this time, but we are going to try and do everything we can do to help the people here.”