FEMA Agrees To Consider 21 Counties, Including Ste. Gen., For Disaster Declaration

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last week agreed to the state of Missouri’s request to consider expanding last week’s federal disaster declaration.

FEMA agreed to reevaluate the request for inclusion of 21 counties that were denied federal assistance on July 9.

FEMA agreed to do the following:

• Conduct new damage assessment with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and local officials in counties where newly identified damaged homes have been found;
• Use ground teams to more fully assess areas that had previously been reviewed only by helicopter; and
• Reevaluate insurance levels and income levels as factors in the ability to recover in some of the affected counties.

The 21 counties include Ste. Genevieve as well as Jefferson and St. Louis. All 21 counties had been denied assistance in President Trump’s July 9 federal disaster declaration.

FEMA has also agreed to conduct joint damage assessments with SEMA and local officials in Cape Girardeau and three other counties that have not previously been assessed.   

FEMA said the damage assessments would begin on July 23.

Governor Mike Parson said he appreciated FEMA moving forward with the state’s requests, which were made on July 16.

If approved, FEMA Individual Assistance would allow eligible residents to seek federal assistance for temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses as a result of the flooding and storms.

(Information in a release from the Governor’s Office.)