Blunt: FEMA may be justified in denying disaster declaration

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Sen. Roy Blunt said he is looking into FEMA's rejection of a disaster declaration for Missouri in the wake of last month's deadly tornadoes but admitted the agency may have good reason to turn Missouri down for direct aid.

Three people died, and heavy damage occurred across the southern third of the state the night of Feb. 28 when storms packing tornadoes, high winds and large hail swept through the Midwest. Earlier this week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it was denying Gov. Jay Nixon's request to declare major disaster areas.

A disaster declaration would have allowed FEMA to begin dispensing federal aid directly to the affected areas. Since then, the governor has requested help from the federal Small Business Administration, which would allow businesses and homeowners that suffered storm damage to apply for low-interest loans to help in repair and restoration.

"Not every bad thing that happens is a national problem," said Blunt during his weekly conference call with Missouri reporters Thursday. "We're trying to be sure that FEMA has a policy that will apply equally everywhere and makes sense."

The federal agency ran out of funds before the end of the last fiscal year and needed an infusion of more than $3 billion after providing disaster assistance for a series of weather-related emergencies, including an East Coast hurricane, devastating tornadoes in Joplin and Alabama, and flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi River valleys.

On several occasions last year, Blunt said FEMA may have gone overboard in its willingness to pour money into disaster sites.

"Joplin and the flooding sites obviously went beyond the ability for local communities to pay for them," Blunt said. "But if they don't go beyond the local capacity, then there's no reason for federal taxpayers to step in."

Blunt said in most cases, private insurance appears to be able to handle many of the costs victims incurred in Missouri.

"My view so far is that the insurance companies are there doing what they're supposed to be doing, and at the end of the day, if you didn't have insurance on your private property, there isn't a whole lot the federal government can do about that," Blunt said.