April 02, 2026

Council Accepts Federal Grant for Hazard Mitigation Planning and Design

By clarkecountylife.com
Proposed site of the community safe room.

Proposed site of the community safe room. (contributed)

At Tuesday evening’s meeting, the Osceola City Council voted to accept a DHS Hazard Mitigation Program grant for a design and development project totaling $55,000. These funds include $41,750 from FEMA, $5,500 from the State of Iowa, and a City contribution of $8,250 and will support the development of a tornado safe room to serve residents in and around the Warren Park area.

“After the 2024 tornado incidents here in Osceola and the devastation seen in Greenfield, it’s undeniable that a project like this will help reduce the risk to life and families in our community,” said Mayor Thomas Kedley.

In the spring of 2024, a severe weather system stretching across Iowa produced more than a dozen tornadoes that struck communities across the state. Osceola experienced at least two funnel touchdowns, causing significant property damage and tearing buildings from their foundations from the southwest corner of town through the north side. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in Osceola. However, other communities, including Greenfield, suffered devastating losses. An EF4 tornado that moved west to east through Greenfield resulted in five fatalities and more than 35 injuries.

According to reports, much of the damage and loss of life in Greenfield was linked to the lack of storm shelters and the prevalence of slab-built homes, which offer limited refuge during severe weather events. The Osceola City Council’s approval of the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is intended to address that same vulnerability for residents living in the southwest section of the city.

“Many of the homes in that area are built on slab,” said Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator. “The presence of a storm shelter at Warren Park will give hundreds of families a place to take refuge should we experience hazardous weather like that again.”

The grant, awarded by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), stems from an original Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant application submitted by Osceola city staff following the 2024 storms. Following submission of the grant and after an initial consultation with FEMA, Wheeler was informed that BRIC planning funds had been cut by the federal government and believed the project would not proceed forward. However, on February 10, 2026 the City received notice from IDHS that the city’s application had been submitted to and awarded funds through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, giving the project renewed momentum.

Funding for this phase of the project will support research and design for the proposed shelter at Warren Park. Federally approved architects at OPN, who specialize in hazard mitigation design, will evaluate the shelter’s reach and impact, including resident capacity, accessibility, and potential additional uses. This planning phase will ultimately guide the final design and construction to best serve community safety needs.

With Council approval secured, the project is expected to move forward with planning and design discussions beginning in late April.

For more information, please contact Ty Wheeler, Osceola City Administrator, at 115 N. Fillmore St., Osceola, IA 50213; phone: (641) 342-2377; or visit the City of Osceola website at https://osceolaia.net.