FEMA in Missouri to aid storm relief

As a public information officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Marc Williams is familiar with disaster.

When he came to Missouri on Friday to help with the state’s recovery from an outbreak of tornados and severe storms earlier this month, he had just completed a 3½-month assignment in Biloxi, Miss., helping with Hurricane Katrina relief.

Obviously, “there is no comparison with Katrina,” Williams said of the damage to Boone and 35 other Missouri counties hit by storms the weekend of March 11. “It’s really tough, though, because I haven’t seen the whole state.”

Williams, who is from Texas, was nevertheless surprised by the destruction in Missouri, and he was unaware that the state commonly experiences strong storms and tornados. Over the weekend, he visited parts of Pettis County, where the storms killed one person. He remembered seeing a hardware store with lumber and boards scattered over the land.

“It was basically just run over,” he said.

As the recovery continues, FEMA coordinating officer Tom Costello held an informal meeting Monday to detail the status of the effort.

“Since the declaration of the disaster on the 16th of March, we’ve had over 800 families register for assistance,” Costello said. “We’ve approved over $350,000 in assistance for individuals, and we’ve already paid out over $280,000.”

FEMA has established a joint office with the State Emergency Management Agency in the former Furniture World building in Rocheport. The Small Business Administration has also sent representatives to work in that office and in the field.

Costello said FEMA chose the Rocheport building because it was centrally located and easily accessible from Interstate 70.

“This building is where we manage the administrative program,” he explained, emphasizing the speed at which FEMA established the location. As soon as the disaster was declared, employees began searching for a building. They found the Furniture World warehouse in one day, and after signing a lease, made it completely operational in three days.

“They had to replace ceiling tiles, replace the electrical system, install a 200-line telephone system, set up a computer network and put up partitions,” Costello said. While he remained unsure how many Missourians would need help, he expects FEMA will maintain its presence in Rocheport for six to eight weeks.

“We’ll be here as long as it takes,” he said, adding that anyone who had damage that isn’t covered by insurance should call.

“This is not charity,” Costello said. “These are your tax dollars coming back to you when you need them. ... If we help you, that does not mean that we’re not going to help somebody else.”

The Individual Assistance declaration helps renters, homeowners and businesses with uninsured or underinsured losses from the recent storms to apply for federal low-interest loans or grants to recover from the recent storms.

Those who need help can call FEMA at 800-621-3362 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. seven days a week.