Blunt appeals for federal help

Gov. Matt Blunt sent a message Friday to President George Bush asking for federal aid for 18 Missouri counties, including Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Butler, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne counties, which suffered significant damage from ice storms that swept across the state Feb. 10 through 14. Two people died and 50 more were injured in storm-related traffic accidents. Electric wires, utility poles and trees snapped under the weight of ice.

Jackson was among the hardest hit; the city is still littered with debris from trees shredded by the weight of ice. Jackson's public works crews have cleared 40 of the 325 blocks affected by storm debris.

Blunt's request covers the entire southern part of the state and draws on preliminary damage assessments collected by joint federal, state and local teams, which estimated $13.8 million in damage to public infrastructure.

If President Bush agrees with the assessment, cities and counties can be reimbursed for emergency actions, repairs or replacement of damaged infrastructure and debris clearance.

Jackson director of utilities Don Schuette said his department is "finishing up on a few little odds and ends -- street lights, circuits, finding a pole here and there that needs straightening."

Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr said Blunt's request was "wonderful news" as well as swift.

"I know that the final report on all the damages didn't get finished until maybe the day before yesterday," she said Friday.

She said she expected Jackson's current cost estimate of $1.2 million in damages to rise as the cleanup efforts moved forward.

"It's still adding up ... what we're doing is just keeping very careful records, so that should we get federal assistance, we will have that completely documented," she said.

Officials in the city of Cape Girardeau remain hopeful of compensation.

The city council has already agreed to appropriate $700,000 in emergency funds, about half of which will be spent on equipment such as generators to keep key city buildings functioning during emergencies. Some of the money is being used to pay for overtime as well as the cost of independent contractors who are cleaning up debris.

But city manager Doug Leslie pointed out that money is considered a loan from the emergency fund and must be repaid.

"We're very please with the governor's request," he said. "If it is approved, it will certainly be beneficial to many communities."

Unlike the city of Cape Girardeau, which hired an outside contractor to clear debris, Jackson has been limited to using employees.

pmcnchichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127