Jefferson County residents affected by the severe March storm may apply for federal aid.
FEMA announced today, May 23, that President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster assistance for Missouri residents following the storms on March 14-15 that produced tornadoes, straight-line winds and wildfires across the state.
“We are pleased to see that major disaster declaration made,” said Warren Robinson, Jefferson County Office of Emergency management director. “We are hopeful that it will help folks who are still recovering from that March tornado (in Jefferson County). I am glad (the assistance) is there.
“I know there was a lot of damage out there and many homes that were impacted. We are excited to see the funds start coming into the community.”
Trump also approved federal assistance for Missourians affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding between March 30 and April 8. However, Jefferson County was not included in that declaration.
Federal assistance for the March 14-15 storms is only available for individuals (residents and business owners) in Jefferson County. The county did not qualify for assistance to local governments and nonprofits.
Individual assistance allows eligible residents and business owners to seek federal assistance with temporary housing, house repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles and other qualifying expenses. For business owners, assistance is available for property loss and economic injury.
Other counties where residents are eligible for individual assistance for damage from the March 14-15 storms include Bollinger, Butler, Camden, Carter, Franklin, Howell, Iron, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Louis, Wayne, Webster and Wright.
Jefferson County residents may apply for aid by going to disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Residents may also download the FEMA app to register, officials said in a written statement.
The Missouri Governor’s Office said in a written statement that the deadline for most individual assistance programs is 60 days following the major disaster declaration.
Gov. Mike Kehoe on April 2 requested federal assistance for Jefferson County and 27 other counties to aid with recovery from the March 14-15 storms, which included more than $26.9 million in qualifying expenses.
“This is important and very welcome news for the Missouri families and communities hit hard by the devastating storms and tornadoes that began in March and have affected so much of our state,” Kehoe said in a written statement today. “The State Emergency Management Agency will be working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to move the federal assistance process forward, which will provide millions of dollars in much needed recovery support for individuals, families and local jurisdictions. We appreciate the work of our federal congressional delegation in advocating for these requests and future assistance for Missourians.”
The National Weather Service’s St. Louis office reported that on March 14 a tornado touched down near Clayton Huskey Road north of Hillsboro and went into Arnold. It was one of 12 tornados detected from the afternoon of March 14 through just after midnight on March 15 in the St. Louis area, according to the national weather service.
Robinson previously said local officials, along with FEMA representatives, surveyed the tornado’s path and reported that 24 structures were destroyed, 24 had major damage, 37 had minor damage and two were affected by the tornado.
Arnold Police Chief Brian Carroll previously reported that officials estimated the total cost to repair damaged residential and commercial properties in the city was $99,324,055.
“This is great news,” Carroll said. “Securing financial disaster relief is essential in rebuilding our community. The damage left behind has impacted so many lives in our city.
“Hopefully, this brings some financial relief to those who are struggling to recover. Financial assistance will ensure that no one is left behind.”