SEMA News Release

As the state continues working to document damage levels necessary for a federal disaster declaration in response to the record flooding in the St. Louis region, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) damage assessment experts are in the field working alongside local emergency managers to assess storm damage and estimate repair costs.

Due to the extent of the flooding damage in the densely populated metropolitan region, SEMA took the unprecedented step of deploying eight emergency coordinators to work alongside local officials to speed the process by which Governor Mike Parson can request a federal major disaster declaration and federal assistance.

“Because of the devastating impact of the record rainfall and flooding, we’ve deployed multiple SEMA team members from across the state to take part in what is normally a process handled by local assessment teams,” Governor Parson said. “The combined state-local teams are making steady progress, despite Thursday’s additional flooding, which means we will be able to expedite our request for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) teams to conduct Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments, and ultimately a federal Major Disaster Declaration."

Continue reading the news release from Governor Parson's office here. 

For more information, call 573-751-6294 or e-mail caty.luebbert@sema.dps.mo.gov