Governor Mike Kehoe has formally requested two federal disaster declarations to aid recovery efforts in eight southwest Missouri counties severely impacted by spring storms.
The first request seeks a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Declaration for Greene, Lawrence, and Newton counties, where severe storms on April 29 caused significant damage to homes and businesses. Joint assessments revealed that at least 80 homes and five businesses sustained major damage, with uninsured losses exceeding 40%. If granted, the declaration would make low-interest SBA disaster loans available to affected homeowners, renters, and businesses.
The second request is for a federal Major Disaster Declaration covering Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties, which experienced severe weather—including straight-line winds, hail, and flooding—between May 23 and 26. Preliminary assessments documented over $18 million in public infrastructure damage and emergency response costs. The declaration would provide FEMA Public Assistance to help local governments and eligible nonprofits repair roads, bridges, and other infrastructure and cover cleanup and emergency response expenses.
Previous federal declarations have already been approved for storms earlier this spring, including incidents in March, April, and mid-May.
Residents with ongoing unmet needs are encouraged to contact United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or reach out to the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. More recovery resources are available at recovery.mo.gov.
For more information, contact Gabby Picard, Communications Director, at 573-536-6566 or communications@governor.mo.gov.
