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FEMA approved $33 million to help people in the St. Louis area recover from flooding

FEMA workers Wilmary Medina and Elaine Braswell canvass along Cabanne Avenue and North Drive on Wednesday in University City.
Brian Munoz
/
St. Louis Public Radio
FEMA workers Wilmary Medina and Elaine Braswell canvass along Cabanne Avenue and North Drive on Wednesday in University City.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $33 million in disaster aid to help people in the St. Louis region recover from last month’s historic flash floods.

Included in that aid is $20.4 million in individual assistance grants to renters and homeowners. FEMA awarded the grants to more than 6,000 households.

So far, FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program has paid out $8.6 million in claims for policyholders.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest home, business and economic injury disaster loans to help cover uninsured losses. The agency processed more than $4 million in loans to assist homeowners, business owners and renters with renovations.

Both agencies are prepared to distribute more aid over the next few months. FEMA will provide grant money to help cover needs that are uninsured, including rental assistance, personal property, home repairs and lodging reimbursement.

Disaster recovery centers are open across the region for people to file claims with FEMA. Those in need can apply at the Hazelwood Civic Center at 8969 Dunn Road, Ranken Technical College at 1313 N. Newstead Ave., or at the Developmental Disabilities Resource Board building in St. Charles at 1025 Country Club Road.

Centers are open seven days a week. Appointments are not required; however, officials suggest applying online with FEMA or calling the agency at 1-800-621-3362 before visiting a recovery facility.

Homeowners, renters and business owners also can visit the SBA disaster recovery center at the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis in St. Louis between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays.

FEMA applications are due by Oct. 7.

For more resources on help with flood damage, visit here.

Follow Andrea on Twitter: @drebjournalist

Copyright 2022 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

Andrea Henderson joined St. Louis Public Radio in March 2019, where she covers race, identity and culture as part of the public radio collaborative Sharing America. Andrea comes to St. Louis Public Radio from NPR, where she reported for the race and culture podcast Code Switch and produced pieces for All Things Considered. Andrea’s passion for storytelling began at a weekly newspaper in her hometown of Houston, Texas, where she covered a wide variety of stories including hurricanes, transportation and Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Her art appreciation allowed her to cover arts and culture for the Houston African-American business publication, Empower Magazine. She also covered the arts for Syracuse’s Post-Standard and The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina.