Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says that President Barack Obama has issued a major disaster declaration for "areas across Missouri hit by flooding, severe storms and excessive rain during June and July."
Such a declaration means that the federal government will cover 75 percent of the eligible emergency response and recovery expenses, beginning with the storms on June 12.
"I appreciate the president making this major disaster declaration so that our counties, local governments and communities can obtain the assistance they need in recovering their costs," Nixon said in a statement.
"Local officials across Missouri responded quickly to the devastating floods, damaging rain and severe storms, and this declaration will help expedite the recovery process."
The declaration affects 29 counties: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Caldwell, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clark, Clinton, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lewis, Livingston, Mercer, Nodaway, Putnam, Ray, Schuyler, Scotland, Sullivan and Worth.
Nixon said he plans to ask the White House to expand the president's declaration to include the city of St. Louis and nine other counties: Audrain, Knox, Linn, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls, Shelby and St. Louis.
The governor also has asked U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to designate 55 counties as "primary disaster areas, which will permit assistance for farmers from the USDA's Farm Service Agency."
Those counties are: Adair, Andrew, Audrain, Benton, Caldwell, Callaway, Carroll, Cass, Chariton, Clark, Cooper , Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Dunklin, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Jefferson, Laclede, Lafayette, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Maries, Marion, Mercer, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Pemiscot, Perry, Pettis, Pike, Platte, Putnam, Ralls, Ray, St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Sullivan, Vernon, Warren and Worth.
This article originally appeared in the St. Louis Beacon.
