JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration to help five southwest Missouri counties recover from the severe storms, straight-line winds, hail, heavy rains, and flooding that battered the state over Memorial Day weekend, May 23–26.
Governor Mike Kehoe announced the federal approval Wednesday, marking Missouri’s fifth major disaster declaration since March.
“For the past four months, communities across Missouri have been heavily damaged by continuing severe storms, with some of the most devastated areas affected once again by this four-day severe weather event,” Kehoe said. “I spoke personally with President Trump last night, and we appreciate his approval of this federal assistance, which will provide millions of dollars to assist in rebuilding infrastructure that is vital to the recovery of the impacted communities.”
The disaster declaration covers Dade, Douglas, Ozark, Vernon, and Webster counties, where damage to public infrastructure was widespread. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Public Assistance program will now be available to local governments and qualifying nonprofits in those counties. The program provides funding to repair and restore damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure, as well as reimburse emergency response costs.
Governor Kehoe formally requested the declaration on June 21, following joint Preliminary Damage Assessments conducted in early June. The damage and response costs for the Memorial Day weekend storms are estimated at more than $13.5 million.
This declaration adds to a challenging year of weather-related disasters in Missouri. Severe storms have repeatedly hit the state in recent months, causing extensive damage and stretching local resources thin. Kehoe said the newly approved federal assistance will play a critical role in helping communities rebuild and prepare for future events.
Local officials in the impacted counties are expected to begin working with FEMA representatives in the coming weeks to outline recovery needs and initiate the funding process.
