SOUTHEAST MISSOURI – Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08) released the following statement praising President Trump’s approval of nearly $20 million in federal assistance to help communities recover from the devastating floods that hit southeast Missouri on July 9^th and 10^th of this year.

Congressman Smith said, “I saw the damage in Reynolds and Iron Counties firsthand, and pictures don’t do it justice. Families lost everything inside their homes, farmers and small business owners watched decades of hard work wash away in a matter of hours, and the sanctuary of a church that feeds over 100 families is now in ruins. These are good, hardworking people, and this kind of damage is more than any small, rural community can carry on its own.

“I am grateful to President Trump for approving this request, and I want to thank every first responder, volunteer, and local leader who has stepped up for their neighbors through all of this. I’ll always fight to make sure Missourians get the support they need to rebuild in the wake of disaster.”

Background:

• The flooding hit Missouri July 9-11, when parts of Iron and Reynolds Counties saw as much as 12 inches of rain in just a few hours — an event the National Weather Service classified as a 1-in-1,000-year occurrence.
• Smith, alongside members of Missouri’s Congressional Delegation, sent a letter urging President Trump to swiftly approve Governor Kehoe’s disaster declaration request.
• On September 1, following Governor Kehoe’s request and the Missouri Delegation’s letter, President Trump approved $19.9 million in federal funds to help these communities rebuild.
• More than 300 rescue missions were carried out during the flooding, including the airlift of more than 200 campers and counselors from Camp Taum Sauk.
• The flooding resulted in one death as Faith Gregory of Crawford County passed away after floodwaters swept her home from its foundation near Huzzah Creek.
• Smith toured flood damage at Valley Springs Youth Ranch in Reynolds County, where floodwaters caused an estimated $3 million in damage and destroyed 40 years’ worth of equipment. Nearby, Black River Baptist Church — which feeds up to 120 families through its food drives — had both its food distribution building and sanctuary destroyed.
• In Iron County, Smith met with County Commissioners Josh Campbell, Jim Scaggs, and Dustin Hinkle, who told him that 14 roads across the county sustained damage, including County Road 65, which took five straight days of work just to become passable again.
• The $19.9 million in FEMA Public Assistance is available for Bollinger, Crawford, Iron, Madison, Morgan, Reynolds, Ripley, Washington, and Wayne Counties to apply for.