FEMA administrator tours area; feds approve individual disaster assistance for Bollinger, Wayne counties

The federal government approved individual disaster assistance for people living in 19 Missouri counties today, according to a press release sent out by Gov. Matt Blunt and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder today.

But the only local counties approved for such assistance are Bollinger County and Wayne County.

Earlier today, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator R. David Paulison said Missourians should hear within a few days whether or not federal aid will be available to help them recover some of their losses from last week's intense rains and subsequent flooding.

Word on the individual aid decision came quick, though.

At a news conference in the Red Star neighborhood of Cape Girardeau before the decision was made, Paulison said he won't speculate on whether President George W. Bush will issue a disaster declaration that will provide recovery aid to individuals or local governments. But he said 41 assessment teams tallying damage suffered by individuals and businesses have completed their work in 19 counties. Work will begin Friday to determine the losses suffered by public entities including cities, counties, school districts and electric cooperatives.

The damage has been consistent across the areas he has visited, Paulison said, adding that "a lot of businesses have been disrupted."

A disaster declaration, he said, will be coming soon. "It should be days," he said. "A few short days."

Bush declared 70 counties a disaster area last week, allowing federal agencies to assist in rescue and flood-fighting efforts. Now that waters are receding — the Mississippi River gauge reading at Cape Girardeau was 36.24 feet at 5:30 p.m. — and focus is on recovery, another declaration is needed to open federal coffers.

Were assistance to individuals and public entities is approved, flood victims will be able to apply for grants and loans to rebuild and government agencies will be able to seek reimbursement for clean up and repair costs.

In Southeast Missouri, Paulison briefly visited Dutchtown before conducting the news conference in Cape Girardeau. The stop was the last leg of a four-city tour that also included visits to Springfield, Mo., Jefferson City, Mo., and St. Louis. He was accompanied to Dutchtown and to the Cape Girardeau news conference by Kinder, representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Kit Bond and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson as well as state Department of Public Safety director Mark James and State Emergency Management Agency director Ronald Reynolds.

Kinder praised the state's coordinated response to the rains and flooding and said that effort was in part responsible for keeping the death toll from the storms and flooding to five people.

For updates, check back at www.semissourian.com or read Friday's Southeast Missourian.