This story has been amended to include information about a disaster recovery center open through July 24 in Springfield.
More Missouri residents impacted by spring floods can now apply for help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved Missouri Governor Eric Greitens’ request to expand the state’s disaster declaration.
Locally, homeowners, renters and businesses in Christian, Greene and Wright Counties have until August 1 to apply for help from FEMA. Other Missouri counties in the expanded disaster declaration are Crawford, Dent, Iron, Ste. Genevieve and Wayne.
Those impacted by floods can register for assistance by calling FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week or by going to disasterassistance.gov.
FEMA is also opening a disaster recovery center in Greene County. It’s located at The Library Station on North Kansas Expressway in Springfield.
The center will open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19 through Friday July 21. On Saturday July 22, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be closed on Sunday. The center will close at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 24.
According to the Missouri Department of Public Safety: Disaster assistance to eligible individuals and families generally falls into the following categories:
• Housing Assistance may be available for up to 18 months for displaced homeowners or renters whose primary residences received major damage or were destroyed. Funding also can be provided for housing repairs and replacement of damaged items to make homes habitable.
• Other Needs Assistance may be available for other disaster-related expenses, including essential household items, moving and storage, vehicles, medical and dental, child care, funeral and burial, and some clean-up items not covered by insurance and other assistance programs.
• Low-Interest Disaster Loans are available after a disaster for homeowners and renters from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover uninsured property losses. Loans may be available for repair or replacement of homes, automobiles, clothing or other damaged personal property. Loans are also available to businesses for property loss and economic injury.
• Other Disaster Assistance Programs include crisis counseling, disaster case management, legal advice and assistance, including with income tax, housing issues, consumer protection, Social Security and veterans’ benefits.
The original federal individual assistance disaster declaration was for 27 counties, including eight in southern Missouri. As of July 13, FEMA had given more than $10.6 million in grant assistance to more than 1600 homeowners and renters and more than $10.1 million in SBA loans to more than 170 homeowners and businesses.
