Gov. Mike Kehoe requested Thursday that President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration that would give federal aid to 34 Missouri counties in the aftermath of severe storms in June, according to a news release from his office.
Mid-Missouri saw heavy rain and flash flooding from June 4-18 that led to some roads and trails sustaining damage in Columbia.
"Missourians have shown incredible resilience in the face of repeated severe weather, but the damage from this two-week storm system extended across nearly one-third of the state and has placed a tremendous strain on local communities," Kehoe said in the release. "Federal assistance will provide critical support as communities continue repairing essential infrastructure and recovering from these devastating storms."
Kehoe requested FEMA assistance for 34 counties, including Callaway, Camden, Gasconade, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan and Osage counties.
If approved, the request would allow local governments and certain nonprofits to seek federal assistance for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs, according to the release. Recovery costs would include repair of damaged roads, bridges or other public infrastructure.
Joint damage assessments estimate more than $32.3 million in emergency response costs and damaged public infrastructure.
