State seeks federal aid after severe weather damage

Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday he has begun steps to request federal disaster assistance after the state experienced severe storms and tornadoes at the beginning of the month.

Parson is requesting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) review damage reports and documentation from 19 Missouri counties, including; Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Ripley, Stoddard and Wayne counties.

Storms caused damage in the area on May 3 and 4, uprooting trees and downing power lines. No injuries were reported in the area due to the storms, but over 12,000 Ozark Border Electric Cooperative customers were without power after Sunday’s storm. After the following day’s weather, over 8,000 were without power.

“Last week, two rounds of severe storms blasted southern Missouri with widespread damaging winds over 80 miles per hour, baseball-size hail, and two tornadoes,” Parson said. “The result was extensive damage to homes and businesses, widespread damage to electric power delivery systems, and additional emergency response costs to communities that are already strapped by mounting expenditures because of COVID-19. Initial damage reports show a clear need for a formal review by FEMA as part of the federal disaster declaration process.”

The National Weather Service has confirmed the storms resulted in two tornadoes – an EF-1 tornado in Marston (New Madrid County) on May 3, and an EF-0 tornado in southwest Carter County on May 4. A 71-year-old woman in Bates County was killed when a tree fell into a home near the city of Butler, trapping the woman on May 4. Strong winds in Dunklin County on May 4 derailed 25 rail cars. The heaviest damage to buildings occurred in Lebanon (Laclede County) on May 4. Power outages from the storms peaked on May 4, leaving more than 37,000 customers in the region without power.

Since the state is still in a state-of-emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency was already activated during the severe weather.

As of Thursday, the governor reported, more than 700 local jurisdictions in Missouri have registered to seek federal disaster assistance for the disaster declaration President Donald Trump approved for Missouri on March 26 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.