Shot 07/12/2011.## Emergency management coordinators in counties hit hardest by Monday morning’s severe storms are scrambling to gather damage estimates amid cleanup efforts in hopes of landing federal aid. Gov. Terry Branstad issued emergency disaster proclamations for Benton and Tama counties following the thunderstorms that ripped through the region early Monday, downing trees, snapping power lines, detaching roofs and pummeling entire structures. Emergency management coordinators for both Benton and Tama counties spent Tuesday taking advantage of state resources made available through Branstad's proclamations to clean up debris and restore services to their respective communities. Both agencies also are in the process of assessing the damage to government infrastructure so they can present information to the state that could land them a federal disaster declaration and access to additional government resources.##