FEMA will continue damage assessments Monday in Jefferson City

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to begin public assistance damage assessments on Monday following last month’s E-F 3 tornado.

The agency will look at what public entities, such as county governments, school districts and nonprofit organizations, are eligible for reimbursement, said Caty Eisterhold, a public information officer for the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.

Bill Farr, Cole County Emergency Management director, said public assistance might include Three Rivers Electric due to the cost of repairing the electrical grid after the tornado.

He said public entities can get up to 75 percent reimbursement through FEMA.

The agency will conduct public assistance preliminary damage assessments in 66 counties, Eisterhold said. More counties might become eligible once the floodwaters have receded.

FEMA has wrapped up its individual assistance damage assessments and final numbers for Jefferson City and Cole County are expected early next week, she said.

The agency looks at how many uninsured residences are destroyed or have major damage.

“That’s what FEMA is the most interested in to determine a disaster declaration,” Eisterhold said.

She said the residence must have served as a primary residence.

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