Missourians affected by record flooding in December and January have until the end of Monday to register for federal assistance. Kurt Pickering with FEMA says more than $75 million has already been approved for victims.
Traffic flows freely on Interstate Highway 44 as several traffic signs are still submurged in flood water from the Meramec River in Valley Park Missouri on January 1, 2016. Flooding statewide from three straight days of rain caused evacuations, road closures and fifteen deaths. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
“Two-thirds of the money that’s been paid out on this disaster has been flood insurance claims. Over $50 million is flood payments,” said Pickering.
“If you had any damage in a designated county and you don’t think it’s enough or you think your insurance is going to cover it or whatever, it’s really a better idea to go ahead and get registered. It doesn’t cost you anything. It takes a little time. At the end of the day, it’s better to have registered and not need help, than to find out later that you needed help but you didn’t register so you can’t get any help,” said Pickering.
Individual assistance has been granted in 33 Missouri counties: Barry, Barton, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Cole, Crawford, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Maries, McDonald, Morgan, Newton, Osage, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, Scott, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Taney, Texas, Webster and Wright.
To register online, go to www.disasterassistance.gov. To register by phone, call 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing impaired. Registration via phone must be completed by 10 p.m. Monday.