Federal government grants Missouri disaster assistance request for February blizzard

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The federal government on Wednesday announced the approval of Missouri's request for disaster aid to help state and local agencies cover the cost of digging out from a record-breaking winter storm that covered most of the state during the first week of February. The funds, provided through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, are available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofits in 58 counties on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm. The storm, which forced the closing of Interstate 70, is estimated to have cost the Missouri Department of Transportation $7.7 million, roughly one-sixth of what the agency budgets annually for snow removal. While snow associated with the storm fell in Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties, amounts were relatively small, and local counties aren't included in those eligible for assistance.