Thursday, Governor Mike Parson requested that President Biden issue a major disaster declaration to provide federal assistance in the City of St. Louis as well as St. Louis, St. Charles, and Montgomery counties in response to record flash flooding in the region.
"Our state and local teams have been working around the clock to assist Missourians in the St. Louis region and provide resources," Parson said. "Today, we are requesting a federal major disaster declaration in order to provide further aid to support the region's recovery. We appreciate our SEMA team, first responders, and community partners who continue helping the St. Louis region move forward from this disaster."
Of 1,338 homes assessed, more than 750 had sustained major damage. The assessments, which were conducted by eight joint Preliminary Damage Assessment teams, including representatives from the State Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Small Business Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local officials, also showed 131 of 206 businesses that were examined had sustained major damage.
Based on the joint assessments, Governor Parson has requested Individual Assistance for the City of St. Louis and St. Louis and St. Charles counties. Individual Assistance allows eligible residents to seek federal assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses as a result of the flooding and storms.
Joint assessments also determined more than $35 million in damage to uninsured infrastructure and emergency response costs were incurred in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis, St. Charles, and Montgomery counties. If approved, Public Assistance would allow local governments and qualifying nonprofit agencies to seek federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs, including repair and replacement costs for damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.
Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) were hosted in Wentzville on August 2, and Florissant on August 3, to assist disaster survivors with unmet needs. These MARCs have served more than 800 impacted individuals. Due to severe weather Wednesday and the building reaching capacity, the Florissant MARC closed early to ensure public safety. SEMA's Emergency Human Services team is working with volunteer and faith-based partners to determine if additional MARCs are needed next week.
The American Red Cross has a shelter open for displaced survivors at the St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Rd, St. Louis. Since July 26, the shelter has provided more than 160 overnight stays.
Since last week, FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program has already paid more than $785,000 in claims for flooding losses in Missouri.
Individuals with unmet needs and those who would like to help should contact United Way 211. Call 2-1-1 for assistance or visit http://211helps.org.
Visit recovery.mo.gov for additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri. Businesses are encouraged to visit the "Get Back in Business" button for a listing of opportunities and programs.
Categories: Missouri, Business, Government & Policy, Weather