FEMA Blog

Posted by: Public Affairs

Our thoughts are with the families and communities in the St. Louis area, who were impacted by the severe storms that swept through the region on Friday night, and the severe weather continues today. A strong and long-lasting spring storm continues to bring rain into the region, causing flash flood warnings for parts of Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, and severe weather, including Tornados, to parts of Texas.

Through our regional offices in Kansas City, MO and Denton, TX, we are continuing to closely monitor conditions as the severe storms and tornadoes continue. Since the initial storms struck, we have been in close contact and coordination with the Missouri Emergency Management Agency, Arkansas Department of Emergency Management, Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security, as well as the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

We commend the heroic efforts of the state and local officials and voluntary agencies that have been working around the clock to respond to the storms and protect the affected residents and communities. As an example, check out these photos from the American Red Cross showing how they’re helping disaster survivors.

When natural disasters strike, including severe storms and tornadoes, the first responders are local emergency and public works personnel, volunteers, humanitarian organizations (like the Red Cross), and numerous private interest groups who provide emergency assistance required to protect the public's health and safety and to meet immediate human needs. (See this blog post about FEMA’s role in severe storms and tornadoes.)

If you haven’t already, now is the time to get prepared for tornadoes, floods and other disasters. Visit http://www.ready.gov/ to learn more.