Gov. Blunt Appeals Denial of Public Assistance from May Tornadoes

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt - Official Release             JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today announced he is appealing the decision of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deny Public Assistance in response to the tornadoes that ravaged Barry, Jasper and Newton Counties on May 10, 2008.               "As you consider this appeal, I ask that you carefully consider the fact that the May 10 tornadoes were in addition to a series of major disasters that have struck the state of Missouri over the previous twelve months," Gov. Blunt wrote in the letter. "The state of Missouri has been under a "State of Emergency" continuously from December 2007 until now, with the sole exception of three days from March 15 to March 18, 2008.  The combined abilities of the state and affected local governments to effectively and efficiently recover from this disaster event have been significantly and adversely affected by the almost weekly disaster events impacting the state. I believe that this disaster met all of the identified FEMA factors and considerations for receiving assistance under the public assistance program."              The May 10 tornadoes caused 16 deaths and more than 200 storm related injuries, in addition to leaving 9,000 customers without power in Barry, Jasper and Newton Counties. The damage assessments were completed on May 15th. The Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments included inspections of more than 550 damaged primary residences in the three counties. One hundred and fifty-four homes were destroyed and 58 homes had major damage. The teams also identified $6.2 million in costs to public infrastructure. -- http://www.bransonedge.com http://www.bransonmissouri.blogspot.com