SEMA News Release

Following the federal disaster declaration for nine Missouri counties heavily impacted by the historic flash flooding and severe storms July 9-11, 2026, the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) will hold three applicant briefings on Wednesday, September 9, for local governments and nonprofit agencies seeking Public Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

SEMA strongly recommends that all eligible agencies in the nine declared counties that plan to apply for assistance attend one of the briefings. These sessions cover program updates, eligibility details, the federal reimbursement process, documentation requirements, and other key program information.

The following Missouri counties are included in the most recent federal disaster declaration: Bollinger, Crawford, Iron, Madison, Morgan, Reynolds, Ripley, Washington, and Wayne.

All three applicant briefings will be held 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, at the following locations:

Crawford County Courthouse 

302 West Main Street

Steelville, MO 65565

Wayne County Courthouse

104 Walnut Street

Greenville, MO 63944

Morgan County Justice Center 

211 East Newton Street 

Versailles, MO 65084

Applicant briefings explain FEMA’s Public Assistance program specifically for local governments and qualifying nonprofits – not the general public. These briefings provide details on the criteria for receiving federal assistance to repair damaged roads, bridges and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of associated emergency response and recovery costs.

All Requests for Public Assistance (RPAs) must be submitted to FEMA within 30 days of the September 1 disaster declaration date, or October 1. RPAs must first be received and processed by SEMA before being submitted to FEMA by the September deadline, so applicants should plan accordingly.

An authorized representative for each potential applicant should attend one of the briefings in order to register for assistance. In-person applicant briefings can last up to four hours and provide an opportunity to meet with SEMA personnel, begin the required paperwork and ask questions. In order to register in a timely manner, attendees should bring their organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and federal Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Any government agency – including special districts such as road, water or sewer districts – or nonprofits in the declared counties that incurred disaster-related expenses should attend, including those that are unsure of their eligibility status.

SEMA encourages public officials and community leaders in the affected areas to share this information with all potential applicants to ensure they have an opportunity to attend a briefing and submit an RPA.

For those who are unable to attend a briefing, a recorded video and other important information will be available online at https://sema.dps.mo.gov/programs/state_public_assistance.php (video will be located under DR-4939 tab). For questions about the applicant briefings or Public Assistance program, please call (573) 526-9378.

For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, please visit recovery.mo.gov.

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