FEMA falls short, but other resources available for Bollinger County

The Bollinger County, Missouri, community continues to recover from the deadly tornado that ripped through the area last month.

On top of the devastation and loss of life, the people of Glen Allen were told they did not qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency relief. It was a punch in the gut to a community that had already lost so much.

FEMA guidelines note that a minimum of nearly $11 million in public infrastructure damage is required before the agency will release funds for damaged property. That financial threshold means rural areas, in many cases, would not qualify. And that’s exactly what happened in Glen Allen.

Congressman Jason Smith wrote in a recent column that appeared in the Southeast Missourian about how rural areas are disproportionately impacted by this rule.

“What’s incredibly frustrating is that a person’s address often determines whether they’ll qualify for disaster aid,” Smith wrote. “Homeowners and businesses in rural areas are less likely to qualify for disaster assistance because the value of their property doesn’t meet a certain threshold. It’s absolutely unacceptable, and yet another example of how rural areas are treated differently than bigger towns and cities.”

Smith, who toured the area shortly after the tornado, said he would continue advocating for resources.

One of the resources that is available to those impacted by the storm is low-interest federal disaster loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Businesses can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. Homeowners can borrow up to $200,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. And homeowners and renters can borrow up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Applications can be filed online at http://www.disasterloanassistance.sba.gov. They can be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

For more information, call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

The deadline to apply for property damage is Tuesday, June 13. And for economic injury, the deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.

There’s also another opportunity for support, courtesy of three Realtor groups. Southeast Missouri Realtors, Missouri Realtors and National Association of Realtors Relief Fund are joining together to provide $100,000 in funding to those affected by the tornado. The application is available at http://www.morealtors.wufoo.com/forms/x18f5e2716p9q6y/. The deadline is Friday, June 30.

We continue to pray for those impacted by the tornado and thank all those who have helped in the aftermath. Like Congressman Smith, we’re frustrated that rural communities like Bollinger County are disproportionately impacted when it comes to disaster relief. Nevertheless, we know this community is resilient. And many good-hearted individuals are coming alongside this community as they rebuild.