By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — A pending request from Missouri for federal disaster assistance to come to the aid of families and individuals who suffered loss from this year’s floods and other disasters has been approved by President Donald Trump.
The office of Gov. Mike Parson reports the president approved the state request for individual assistance to offset losses to residences and businesses in 20 counties. The assistance covers natural disasters – floods, tornadoes, and severe storms – that began April 29th. Earlier, the president approved a disaster assistance package to offset recovery costs borne by local governments.
The federal Individual Assistance program will be made available to eligible residents in Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Cole, Greene, Holt, Jackson, Jasper, Lafayette, Lincoln, Livingston, Miller, Osage, Pike, Platte, Pulaski, and St. Charles Counties. Residents in these counties can now register for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, and the replacement of household items.
“This is important news for Missouri families and communities that have been hit so hard by the continuing flooding, tornadoes, and severe storms this year,” Gov. Parson said in a written statement released by his office. “While Missourians have been working hard to rebuild and pull together to support one another – as we always do – the President’s action means important federal assistance will be available to help Missouri families recover in these 20 counties. I urge them to register for FEMA assistance now. I appreciate President Trump making federal assistance available.”
Missouri made its request June 24th. The state’s Preliminary Damage Assessments examined 1,650 primary homes, of which 953 had been destroyed or sustained major damage. The assessments also showed that 125 of 251 businesses that were examined had been destroyed or sustained major damage. The assessments were conducted jointly by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and local officials.
The governor’s office says Individuals and families who sustained damage or losses due to the flooding and severe storms from April 29 and after in one of the Missouri counties included in the Individual Assistance disaster declaration can register for disaster assistance by going to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA’s toll-free registration number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., seven days a week. If you use a TTY: 1-800-462-7585. The faster people register with FEMA, the faster they may be able to receive assistance.
FEMA disaster assistance to eligible individuals generally falls into these categories:
· Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced homeowners or renters whose primary residences received major damage or were destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
· Other Needs Assistance may be available for other disaster-related expenses, including essential household items, moving and storage, vehicles, medical and dental, child care, funeral and burial, and some clean-up items not covered by insurance and other assistance programs.
· Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing, or other damaged personal property. Loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury.
· Other Disaster Assistance Programs include crisis counseling, disaster-related unemployment assistance, disaster case management, legal advice and assistance, including income tax, housing issues, consumer protection, Social Security, and veterans’ benefits.
Those who suffered losses from natural disaster should continue to document the losses, including take photographs and keeping receipts for repairs. SEMA is working with FEMA to identify locations where FEMA will operate Disaster Recovery Centers to assist flooding survivors with answers to their questions and help with registering for assistance. The deadline for most Individual Assistance programs is 60 days after the disaster has been declared by the president.
This is the second disaster declaration for Missouri. On May 20, President Trump approved Gov. Parson’s request for a major disaster declaration to help local governments and nonprofit agencies in Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Holt, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Platte, Ray, and Ste. Genevieve counties. The FEMA Public Assistance disaster declaration will allow those counties to receive FEMA assistance for the repair and rebuilding of damaged roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and eligible emergency response costs due to flooding and severe storms that occurred from March 11 to April 16.
Damage assessments continue throughout the state after Missouri suffered through flooding and severe storms, including the May 22nd tornado that ripped through Jefferson City. Tornadoes also did damage to Eldon and Carl Junction.