A series of moderate to heavy thunderstorms moved through the Parkland this summer, bringing with them damaging winds, torrential rainfall and dangerous lightning.
St. Francois County excluded from list for requested help
Jefferson City, MO – Wednesday, Gov. Mike Parson asked President Joe Biden to approve a major disaster declaration to provide federal help in 33 counties that have been hit hard by severe weather systems Missouri experienced from July 29 – Aug. 14.
Iron, Madison, and Ste. Genevieve counties were among the 33 counties cited as needing federal funding. St. Francois and Washington counties were not included.
The storm systems generated tornadoes, straight-line winds, heavy rain, and flooding across the state, leading to significant damage to public infrastructure.
“For the past several weeks, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been working tirelessly and in close coordination with our federal and local partners to document widespread damage as a result of the severe weather that repeatedly struck Missouri late this summer,” Parson said. “We are confident federal assistance will be forthcoming and appreciate all the work that’s already been done by SEMA, local responders, and partner agencies to help our communities recover.”
Joint preliminary damage assessments conducted by SEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local emergency managers estimate more than $14 million in infrastructure damage and emergency response costs eligible for federal assistance.
Gov. Mike Parson
In addition to three of the five Parkland counties, Parson is requesting public assistance for the following: Adair, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Camden, Christian, Clark, Crawford, Dade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Henry, Knox, Maries, Mississippi, Morgan, New Madrid, Ozark, Perry, Scotland, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Taney, Vernon, Wayne and Worth.
If approved, local governments and qualifying nonprofit agencies can ask for federal assistance to reimburse them for emergency response and recovery costs, including repair and replacement costs for damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.
On Aug. 5, Parson signed Executive Order 23-08 activating the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan in response to continuing severe weather.
On Aug. 4, an EF-2 tornado in Baring, located in Knox County, destroyed or caused major damage to more than 35 homes as well as the town’s post office, fire station, and several other buildings. More than 30 people were displaced.
That same night, torrential rain in Adair County led to flash flooding and dozens of emergency calls. Hundreds of thousands of Missourians also lost power during the incident period due to strong winds downing trees and utility poles.
Individuals with unmet needs should contact United Way 211. Call 2-1-1 for assistance or visit http://211helps.org. For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.
Missouri has had its share of severe weather this summer, and it hasn’t always produced precipitation.
In June, in response to worsening drought, Parson announced the availability of emergency hay and water for Missouri farmers and ranchers.
Boat ramps at 25 Missouri state parks and 36 Department of Conservation areas were opened for farmers to collect water. Nearly 700 acres were made available for haying at 17 state parks.
In addition, the Department of Transportation offered special overwidth hauling permits at no charge to help farmers and ranchers move hay. Some livestock producers affected by drought were able to defer gains on livestock sold to the next tax year or until livestock that were sold were replaced.
Missourians were encouraged to help local, state, and national decision-makers better understand drought conditions across the state by completing a survey via the Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) service.