Together the State and Federal
Emergency Management Agencies Add More Teams to Assess Tornado Damage
JEFFERSON CITY, March 16, 2006-Under the governor’s
direction, the State Emergency Management Agency continues to canvass
storm-impacted counties. The emergency agencies now have strategically
placed five more teams in destructed areas.
“I encourage every citizen or business to report
their tornado related damages to their local municipal or county government
officials,” Gov. Matt Blunt said. “The State Emergency
Management Agency uses this information to direct the SEMA/FEMA damage
assessment teams to various counties to collect and verify damage
information.”
These teams rely on information, maps, and expertise
provided by local governments to conduct the assessments. As the teams
finish one county they contact other counties to determine the availability
of local officials to help conduct the assessments.
Based on the information received from local counties,
the SEMA/FEMA Damage Assessment have been completed collecting information
in Hickory, Monroe, Perry, Saline, and Ste Genevieve, Christian, Jefferson,
Morgan, Pettis, and Randolph Counties. Thursday the teams will be
collecting information in the following counties: Carroll, Cass, Douglas,
Johnson, Lawrence, Montgomery, Putnam, Scott, Vernon and Lincoln County.
The teams will visit more counties this weekend.
The governor requested federal assistance on Tuesday and if the president
approves Blunt’s request, individual assistance would provide
disaster grants or low-interest loans to families, individuals and
businesses to help recover uninsured personal property and businesses
losses.
State Agencies who are working disaster effort include: State Highway
Patrol, State Water Patrol, Division of Fire Safety, National Guard,
Department of Transportation, Department of Conservation, Department
of Natural Resources, Department of Social Services, Department of
Mental Health, Department of Health and Senior Services, Department
of Insurance, and SEMA. Volunteer Organizations working in the disaster
relief effort include American Red Cross, Salvation Army, AmeriCorps,
and many faith-based organizations with a disaster mission.
Missourians who wish to make a contribution to recovery
efforts should contact the State Emergency Management Agency toll
free at (866) 254-0140.