Gov. Mike Kehoe has requested federal assistance following the flash flooding that hit southeast Missouri this month.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agency estimated the flooding caused more than $26.5 million in emergency response expenses and damage across Bollinger, Crawford, Iron, Madison, Morgan, Reynolds, Ripley, Washington and Wayne counties.
"The damage has overwhelmed local communities, placing a tremendous burden on them that far exceeds their capacity to recover without federal assistance," Kehoe said in a statement.
The nearly $20 million in damage to Iron County alone exceeded FEMA's state threshold of $11.9 million, Kehoe said.
The storms led to significant flooding in the Black River, resulting in the death of 23-year-old Faith Gregory. Her body was found two miles from her Davisville home in Huzzah Creek.
If the funding is approved, Kehoe said money from the FEMA Public Assistance program would go toward local governments and nonprofits to rebuild roads and other public infrastructure. It would also reimburse costs for debris removal and emergency response.
This is the third federal disaster declaration request from Kehoe this year. The Trump administration approved previously requested funding for storms in April. Requested funding for severe storms that hit Missouri in early through mid-June is still pending. The Trump administration approved federal disaster relief funding almost a month after the May 2025 tornado in St. Louis.
Copyright 2026 St. Louis Public Radio
