WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has approved Missouri’s request for a federal disaster declaration after deadly tornadoes and strong winds hit the state last month.
The designation allows seven southern Missouri counties to access federal assistance for repairing damaged buildings and other infrastructure, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced in a news release Tuesday.
“This federal disaster assistance will help relieve the financial strain on Missouri communities that were significantly impacted by the storms and help repair severe damage sustained by some Missouri electric power cooperatives and other essential public facilities,” Governor Mike Parson said in a news release from his office Tuesday.
Gov. Mike Parson requested help last month for Bollinger, Dunklin, Iron, Madison, Pemiscot, Reynolds and Wayne counties.
State and local officials estimated that federal assistance could be available for more than $27 million in public infrastructure repairs and emergency response expenses, according to Parson’s office.
The Dec. 10 tornado killed at least two people in Missouri. The same storm system also generated tornadoes that killed dozens of people in four other states with the worst damage in Kentucky.
