Damage Assessment Team Tour Flood Areas to Determine Eligible Assistance 

Release Date: June 27, 2008
Release Number: 1773-002

» More Information on Missouri Severe Storms and Flooding

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Joint teams of disaster recovery experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State of Missouri Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and local officials are conducting assessments in the northeastern Missouri flood areas to determine what types of federal assistance may be offered.  

The Presidential Disaster Declaration of June 25 authorized Direct Federal Assistance (DFA) to 22 Missouri counties bordering the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, as well as the Independent City of St. Louis.  Types of assistance available under DFA include specific mission assignments to other federal agencies to perform flood response activities.

Additional assistance may become available following the damage assessments that are now underway.

Public Assistance teams comprised of representatives from local emergency management, SEMA, and FEMA have hit the ground to gather information in the designated counties.  These joint teams are conducting surveys today in some of the affected counties to calculate the costs that local jurisdictions have already incurred in their emergency flood-fight activities, as well as future anticipated costs for emergency protective flood-fight activities.  

Individual Assistance teams are gathering information for possible assistance to individuals and businesses, visiting a sampling of each in the affected areas to assess damage.  They will not visit every home or business.  This is the first step in determining if the damage is sufficient to qualify for FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP). IHP approval would allow disaster-impacted households to register for FEMA aid for home repairs, rental assistance and other recovery measures and authorize the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes and private, non-profit organizations.

Some forms of assistance that may be available will be difficult to determine at this time because many areas are still underwater. The joint SEMA/FEMA/SBA teams will return when flood waters recede to further assess damage.

The June 25 declaration includes the counties of Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Holt, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Marion, Mississippi, New Madrid, Nodaway, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Platte, Ralls, St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, as well as the Independent City of St. Louis.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 15-Jul-2008 10:05:08