Monday, September 25, 2006
Contact: Spence Jackson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Sends Damage Assessment Teams To Counties
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt is sending Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/ State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) damage assessment teams to local governments to canvass 12 and possibly more Missouri counties that sustained severe weather, high winds, flooding and power outages in the aftermath of the September 22 and continuing storms. As directed by Blunt the teams will begin initial visits in hardest hit Phelps, Perry, Iron, Madison and New Madrid Counties before branching into other counties.
“It is critical that every county who received damages from the weekend storm systems and flooding report those damages to the State Emergency Management Agency,” Blunt said. “This information is used to direct the joint state-federal damage assessments. We want to ensure our citizens and our counties have the resources to recover from the recent severe weather including tornadoes.”
SEMA, FEMA, the Small Business Administration and representatives from local communities make up a joint preliminary damage assessment team. As of Sunday, there were no deaths, and approximately 10 people were injured during this storm system.
Beginning Monday, the assessment teams will begin canvassing affected areas of the state. They gather information on uninsured property damages and infrastructure damages. Based on information submitted to the State Emergency Operations Center, the teams will be looking at several hundred storm damaged homes and businesses. Local officials are encouraged to continue gathering and providing additional damage information to SEMA.
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