Missouri rated over own expectations

While Missouri failed to be listed by the Homeland Security Department as being overall sufficient in responding to disasters, the state was rated higher than its own expectations.

Missouri rated itself as having no confidence in the adequacy of planning to manage a catastrophic incident in six of nine categories, including in its warning and communications annexes, according to a summary report for Missouri that was part of the department's Nationwide Plan Review.

But in a peer review of Missouri's emergency operations plans, every category was determined to be at least partially sufficient to meet some requirements of a catastrophe.

The peer review was conducted by former state and local homeland security and emergency management officials, according to the report.

Two of the categories, basic plan and the direction and control annex, were rated sufficient. In the state's own assessment, Missouri was partially confident and had no confidence in the categories, respectively.

Additionally, Missouri represented the nation's best example of a state's advanced planning for contacting the private sector for resources in the event of a catastrophe. The state's list included agreements with volunteer organizations, schools and private businesses.

Overall, Missouri sufficiently met 20 percent of the requirements for a catastrophic event, and was partially sufficient for the remaining 80 percent, according to the report.

In Missouri's two largest cities, the numbers were less strong. St. Louis was only 13 percent sufficient, and failed to meet requirements 2 percent of the time. Kansas City sufficiently met the requirements 16 percent of the time, but failed 13 percent.

-- Kyle Morrison