FEMA to take another look at 21 Missouri counties

Federal officials will reevaluate whether 21 Missouri counties should be included in a disaster declaration covering spring storms and flooding.

The office of Gov. Mike Parson said in a news release that the Federal Emergency Management Agency agreed Thursday to take another look at damage in those counties, which include Callaway, Cooper, Howard, Gasconade and Saline counties in central Missouri. The 21 counties were denied federal disaster funds in President Donald Trump’s July 9 disaster declaration.

Today, the Federal Emergency Management Agency @fema agreed to our request to consider expanding last week’s federal disaster declaration. FEMA agreed to reevaluate the request for inclusion of 21 counties that were denied federal assistance on July 9.

— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 18, 2019

The agency will conduct new damage assessments with the State Emergency Management Agency and local officials where damaged homes have been identified since the last assessment, Parson’s office said. FEMA will also use ground teams to assess what agency representatives had previously only looked at by helicopter and again examine insurance and incomes in the affected areas, according to the release.

The new damage assessments are expected to start Tuesday, Parson’s office said.

FEMA had already approved more than 500 households for individual assistance worth more than $2.3 million as of Wednesday, according to the release.

Boone, Chariton, Cole, Milller, Osage and Pulaski counties in central Missouri were already included in the July 9 declaration, which covers damage from major spring flooding on the Missouri River and its tributaries as well as the May 22 tornado that hit Eldon and Jefferson City.

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