President Obama declares Missouri counties federal disasters

This is directly from the KFVS12 website.

By: Heartland News & AP
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) Twenty Missouri counties will be eligible for public assistance now that the state has been issued a major disaster declaration.
The declaration, announced Tuesday, was the result of a severe ice storm Jan. 26-27 in southern Missouri.

The affected counties include Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Stone, Taney and Wayne.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A request by Gov. Jay Nixon for a major disaster declaration for parts of southern Missouri hit by last month's winter storms was granted today by President Barack Obama. The declaration paves the way for counties and local entities affected by the storms to seek millions of dollars in federal funds for disaster-related costs.

The President's declaration will assist 20 counties in recovering from the damage caused by this major storm. Those counties are Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, and Wayne.

On Jan. 30, President Obama granted Missouri an emergency disaster declaration in response to Gov. Nixon's request, allowing the state to receive federal assistance to pay its costs related to the storm. Today's declaration of a major disaster by the President entitles counties and local entities to receive this same federal assistance.

Assessments by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and its federal counterpart, FEMA, for damages sustained by counties, municipalities, electric cooperatives and municipal utilities have been determined to be in excess of $193 million.