.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
A survey of over 800 companies shows that 53 percent have been affected by the recent floods, according to Iowa State University Extension’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS). The effects range from workforce disruption as employees respond to personal problems caused by the floods, to disruption in production facilities caused by structural damage or disconnected utilities.

CIRAS is conducting the survey to identify areas where relief funding will have the greatest impact on industry as it attempts to return to normal production, said CIRAS director Ron Cox.

“Based on the data we have received to date, it’s reasonable to expect that a company of 50 employees would have over a million dollars of damage and lost sales,” Cox said.

Compiling accurate data is crucial, Cox pointed out, because millions of dollars of relief funding is being made available from multiple sources. CIRAS hopes to help those funding sources understand how relief funding can best be targeted for industry recovery.

Sixty percent of the companies reported disruptions to their work force, noted Rudy Pruszko, CIRAS project manager. Companies also are dealing with supply interruptions, flood-affected customers, backed-up sewer drains and other issues that prevent them from operating normally.

CIRAS plans to interview nearly 1,300 Iowa companies that have five to 500 employees. Companies surveyed so far include manufacturers of fabricated metal products, nonmetallic mineral products, machinery and wood products, as well as food processing companies and those involved in printing and support activities.

Companies that have not yet been surveyed are urged to contact Pruszko at rpruszko@iastate.edu or (515) 294-3420. All companies are encouraged to visit the CIRAS Web site, www.ciras.iastate.edu, for industry emergency management information. The site will be updated as new information becomes available. When the industry survey is completed, the results will be available on the Web site.