The State of Iowa encountered disastrous weather events throughout spring and summer 2008. These incidents have since been recognized as the worst natural disasters in Iowa’s history. In response to these incidents, Iowa Governor Chet Culver established the Rebuild Iowa Office (RIO) through Executive Order 7 on June 27, 2008. RIO was established to coordinate statewide recovery efforts. In addition to RIO, the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD) of the Iowa Department of Defense serves to coordinate activities before, during, and after emergencies through partnerships with Federal, State, local, and private entities.