McDonald County officially will receive help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the damage caused by devastating floodwaters in late June.
The county didn't initially make the first list for help, but state officials requested additional assistance for 25 more counties.
On July 29, Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced that FEMA agreed to the state's request to provide federal assistance to local governments and nonprofit groups in 68 counties recovering from flooding and severe storms between April 29 and July 5.
Approval means FEMA will assist with the cost of repairs to damaged county roads, bridges and the cities that had damaged infrastructure, said Gregg Sweeten, McDonald County Emergency Management Agency director.
FEMA will pay 75% of repair costs, he said. The state will reimburse 10 percent of repair costs for damaged infrastructure, he added.
On Tuesday, the governor's office announced that residents of McDonald County can now apply for FEMA individual assistance. Sweeten said that means that FEMA will offer help, capped at a certain dollar amount, to people who didn't have flood insurance. Approval also triggers the Small Business Administration to offer low-interest loans to businesses and citizens, Sweeten said.
According to a press release from the governor's office, the individual assistance program assists with temporary housing, housing repairs and the replacement of household items.
To register for disaster assistance, individuals should visit wwww.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
A FEMA representative and state representative traveled the county with Sweeten following the flood.
"I showed them the homes and businesses affected," Sweeten said.
Meanwhile, local families are learning to tap into various resources in this post-flood situation.
Approximately 35 families were able to visit with representatives at the Multi-Agency Resource Center in McDonald County on Aug. 1. Agency resources offered local flood victims some disaster assistance at the First Baptist Church in Anderson, Sweeten said.
General News on 08/08/2019