FEMA Approves State’s Request to Add 14 Additional Counties and City of St. Louis to Disaster Declaration; More Missouri Communities to Receive Reimbursements for Disaster Response and Recovery Expenses

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Jefferson City — Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved Missouri’s request to expand the federal major disaster declaration for Missouri to include assistance for local governments and nonprofit agencies in 14 additional counties and the City of St. Louis. 

FEMA’s approval means Benton, Boone, Callaway, Clay, Cooper, Dunklin, Gasconade, Howard, Lafayette, Lincoln, Pulaski, Scott, St. Charles, and St. Clair counties as well as the City of St. Louis will receive reimbursements for emergency response costs and repairs to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure as a result of flooding and storms from April 29 to July 5.

“FEMA’s approval of our request means millions of dollars in vitally important federal and state reimbursements will now go to communities in 14 more Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis,” Governor Mike Parson said “We appreciate the hard work of our local emergency managers and officials to gather damage information and comply with all the federal requirements. Their residents will now benefit from their efforts.”

The federal disaster declaration expansion granted today means a total of 82 Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis have been approved to seek reimbursements for emergency response costs and recovery expenses. FEMA’s action means more counties are now designated in the April 29 to July 5 disaster for the Public Assistance Program than in any other disaster in Missouri since the Great Flood of 1993.

On July 9, President Donald Trump granted Governor Parson’s request for a major disaster declaration to assist residents affected by the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding this year. That declaration made available the Individual Assistance program to help eligible residents with temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other expenses as a result of flooding, as well as disaster-related unemployment assistance in 20 Missouri counties: Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Cole, Greene, Holt, Jackson, Jasper, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Miller, Osage, Pike, Platte, Pulaski, and St. Charles.

On July 29, local governments and nonprofits in 68 counties were approved for public assistance, which helps with the cost of repairs to damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure, along with emergency response costs associated with the storms and flooding. The counties included in this request were the following: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Barry, Barton, Bates, Bollinger, Buchanan, Caldwell, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cedar, Chariton, Clark, Cole, Dade, Dallas, Daviess, Douglas, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howell, Jackson, Jasper, Knox, Laclede, Lewis, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Mercer, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, New Madrid, Newton, Nodaway, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Ste. Genevieve, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, Shelby, Stoddard, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Wayne, Webster, and Wright.

On August 5, residents in six more counties became eligible for individual assistance: Callaway, Jefferson, Lewis, McDonald, Newton, and Saline. 

The deadline for homeowners and residents to register for assistance was September 9. Over 1,480 households in all 26 counties approved for individual assistance have received more than $7,000,000.