ST. PETERS, Mo. — Missouri’s Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe said help is on the way for struggling businesses and families impacted by Tuesday’s floods.
Kehoe said everything is in order to get FEMA help. He expects the damage total to far surpass the threshold to qualify.
He visited St. Peters and St. Louis on Wednesday. In St. Peters he was accompanied by Missouri representatives Ron Hicks and Tony Lovasco. Kehoe said his office has also been in touch with the Small Business Administration to help with additional relief for businesses that may not qualify for FEMA. Kehoe said there’s no “magic wand” but commends the hard work of volunteers and neighbors.
“Government is a great organization, but they can't solve everyone’s problems,” Kehoe said. “Small business owners and communities know how to solve problems much better than bureaucrats. It warms my heart to see what happened at my business happened here.”
He’s been in the same shoes as many struggling business owners. In 1992, he bought a business in Jefferson City, several months later the flood of 1993 ruined his newly acquired business.
“I didn't have flood insurance because guess why, the business I bought wasn't in the flood area,” Kehoe said. “I've been through this.”
This is the same exact situation Lisa Hagemann is in. Her business Oma’s Barn Home & Garden was flooded Tuesday morning.
“Everything just kind of floated away,” Hagemann said.
The water was above the barn door that she’s run her business out of for the past two decades.
"We finally got the doors open but I had to go through the back door, crawl through to get this (side door to open),” she said.
The owner estimates $50,000 worth of damage.
“I felt like someone punched me in the stomach," she said.
Her shop is known for selling plants, art and antiques – most of which is now ruined and can’t be replaced. She’s received calls of support from customers across the country.
"I think this was my dad's,” she said. “He was 95 yesterday, my dad, he's not around anymore but all of this happened on his birthday. Owning a business is like trying to rob Peter to pay Paul. You just try and make ends meet. Do what you can to make people happy."
A GoFundMe has been created to boost support for the business that’s added that touch of creativity to homes and businesses around the region.