President Barack Obama has approved Governor Jay Nixon’s request for a major disaster declaration. The declaration is in response to prolonged flash flooding and severe storms from May 15 to July 27. Local governments and nonprofit agencies in the 68 counties included in the declaration – the most for any disaster in Missouri since the Great Flood of 1993 – can seek federal assistance for response and recovery expenses associated with the flooding and severe weather.
Gov. Jay Nixon (D)
“The prolonged severe weather system that repeatedly hit Missouri with flooding and severe storms caused an estimated $38 million in damage to roads, bridges and other public infrastructure and resulted in at least 10 deaths,” Nixon said. “This declaration will help bring much needed financial assistance to the many communities that have sustained excessive response costs and heavy damage to essential public infrastructure.”
The counties included in the federal public assistance disaster declaration are: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Bates, Benton, Buchanan, Caldwell, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, DeKalb, Douglas, Gentry, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lafayette, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, McDonald, Macon, Maries, Marion, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Pettis, Pike, Platte, Polk, Putnam, Ralls, Ray, Ste. Genevieve, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Washington, Webster, Worth and Wright.
Public assistance allows local governments and eligible nonprofit agencies to seek assistance for response and recovery expenses associated with the severe weather and flooding. The Governor said he will likely request that additional counties be added to the federal declaration.
The federal government said the Governor’s request seeking individual assistance for residents in Barry, Clay, Christian, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Osage, Ray, Ste. Genevieve, Stone and Webster counties is under review. That request was made July 21.
Individual assistance means that eligible individuals and households can seek federal assistance for uninsured losses from severe weather and flooding.
Governor Nixon first declared a state of emergency in Missouri on June 18. The state of emergency has been extended until August 14.
