Missouri might be out of luck in its effort to obtain federal assistance for the flood damage caused by the surging Missouri River and its tributaries.

Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) says Missouri has taken advantage, in the past, of a federal hazard mitigation program which provides some federal dollars to help states prepare for and protect against emergencies such as flooding. And, because this state has done a good job of protecting itself, the damage is mitigated, and Missouri might be left out in the cold as far as FEMA assistance goes. She says it all depends on how much damage there is, and it doesn’t look as though the threshold has been reached.

McCaskill says she will be meeting with FEMA officials in Washington to find out why such a system exists and to try to fix what she calls institutional problems with the system.

Download/Listen: Senator Claire McCaskill on federal flood assistance (:30 MP3)