President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe's Requests for Major Disaster Declarations to Assist Missourians Impacted by April 29 and May 16 Severe Storms and Tornadoes

JUNE 10, 2025

Jefferson City — Governor Mike Kehoe has announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved two additional requests from the State of Missouri for major disaster declarations in response to the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that impacted the state, this time for events that occurred on April 29 and May 16.

“We are grateful for President Trump acting quickly to get vitally needed federal assistance to the thousands of Missourians hit hard by the violent severe weather that struck our state and who are now struggling to rebuild their lives and homes,” Governor Kehoe said. “We urge all eligible residents to apply now. The faster you apply, the faster you will receive assistance.”

Individual Assistance:

The President's actions, which follow Governor Kehoe’s May 25 request, make Individual Assistance available to eligible residents in the City of St. Louis, and St. Louis and Scott counties impacted by the May 16 storms. Individual Assistance allows eligible residents to seek federal assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses.

Individuals who sustained damage or losses due to the May 16 severe weather may now apply for FEMA disaster assistance online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration line at 1-800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. They can also download the FEMA app to apply. Affected individuals are encouraged to document losses, photograph damage, and retain receipts. The faster Missourians register with FEMA, the faster they may be able to receive assistance.

The deadline for most Individual Assistance programs is 60 days following the President’s major disaster declaration. Disaster assistance to eligible individuals generally falls into the following categories:

  • Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced persons whose residences were heavily damaged or destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
  • Disaster Grants are available to help meet other serious disaster related needs and necessary expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs. These may include replacement of personal property, and transportation, medical, dental, and funeral expenses.
  • Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing, or other damaged personal property. SBA loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury. Businesses can visit sba.gov or call 1-800-569-2955.
  • Other Disaster Aid Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, legal aid and assistance with income tax, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.

Public Assistance:

The President's actions also make the FEMA Public Assistance program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits for the repair of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of emergency response costs and debris removal.

For the April 29 storms, public assistance is available in the following six counties: Barry, Greene, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, and Washington.

The Governor’s May 19 request for the April 29 storms included more than $16.5 million in Public Assistance qualifying expenses already identified through joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted with FEMA. FEMA Individual Assistance was not requested for these storms.

For the May 16 storms, Public Assistance is available in the City of St. Louis, and St. Louis and Scott counties.

The Governor’s May 25 request for the May 16 storms included more than $57.9 million in Public Assistance qualifying expenses already identified and at least $18.7 million in qualifying Individual Assistance needs already identified through joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted with FEMA.

For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.

For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

SEMA continues to coordinate with local officials and volunteer and faith-based partners to identify needs and assist impacted families and individuals. Missourians with unmet needs are encouraged to contact United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or www.211helps.org or the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.

The following outlines the current status of Governor Kehoe's additional federal assistance requests from this spring:

March 14 - 15 Storms

Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved

March 30 - April 8 Storms

Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved

April 29 Storms

Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved

May 16 Storms

Status: Major Disaster Declaration Approved

May 23 - 26 Storms

Status: FEMA currently participating in joint damage assessments

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