Governor Bob Holden has formally asked President Bush to declare 33 Missouri counties disaster areas because of last week’s ice storm that caused millions of dollars in damage and left tens of thousands of people without electricity. Holden asked the President to declare residents of fourteen counties eligible for Public Assistance. A Public Assistance Disaster Declaration will help public entities deal with the massive debris removal costs and make repairs to damaged public property. He has also asked that 33 counties be declared eligible for Individual Assistance. an Individual Assistance Disaster Declaration could make low-interest U.S. Small Business Administration loans available to individual citizens and businesses that suffered losses after the storm.
