Disaster Number 4552

Disaster update — 7/10/20

President Donald Trump approved Governor Mike Parson’s request for a federal major disaster declaration for Missouri as a result of severe storms that swept across the state on May 3 and 4, 2020, meaning federal Public Assistance was made available to 19 Missouri counties. This allowed local governments and nonprofit agencies to seek assistance for response and recovery expenses associated with the storms.

Disaster update — 6/16/20

Governor Parson requested President Trump approve a major disaster declaration for Missouri to provide federal assistance to a total of 19 counties after joint Preliminary Damage Assessments estimated more than $9.3 million in damage to infrastructure and emergency response costs eligible for federal assistance. The damage assessments were conducted virtually due to COVID-19 and most of the damage documented was to electric power systems as a result of the severe storms.

Disaster update — 5/14/20

Governor Mike Parson requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to review damage reports and documentation from 19 Missouri counties in preparation for a Public Assistance disaster declaration request.

Disaster

A large portion of southern Missouri experienced two rounds of severe thunderstorms beginning the morning of May 3 through the early evening hours of May 4. Initially, the storms produced hail up to the size of baseballs in Jasper and Taney counties in southwest Missouri, with widespread damaging winds of 60-75 mph recorded throughout the region. Wind damage was common along the Missouri Highway 60 corridor across southeast Missouri the afternoon of May 3.

In addition to the widespread damaging wind reports across southeast Missouri, a short-lived tornado touched down in Marston (New Madrid County) rated at an EF-1, with winds estimated around 90 mph. The tornado destroyed several farm buildings west of Marston. The tornado then moved into town, where the Marston City Hall and apartment building had significant damage to their roofs. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped along the path of this tornado.

The second round of severe storms also brought heavy winds of 60-80+ mph into southeast Missouri, damaging numerous homes and businesses and snapping or uprooting thousands of trees causing widespread power outages. There were also some isolated reports of flash flooding along low water crossings in southeast Missouri. There was another confirmed tornado rated an EF-0 in southwest Carter County on May 4. The tornado uprooted dozens of trees and toppled several electrical poles. Additionally, the tornado removed a small section of the roof on a manufactured home. Significant straight-line wind damage occurred southwest of this tornado. A 71-year-old woman in Bates County was killed on May 4 when a tree fell into a home near Butler. Strong winds in Dunklin County on May 4 derailed 25 rail cars. The heaviest damage to buildings occurred in Lebanon (Laclede County) on May 4. Power outages from the storms peaked on May 4, leaving more than 37,000 customers without power.