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Issue: 856 Date: 1/18/2007
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St. Louis area receives federal disaster declaration
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| Chris Dotson with Charter Communications inspects ice damaged power lines in the University City neighborhood in St. Louis Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007. St. Louis was hit with an ice storm overnight that left more than 100,000 people without power. This is the second severe ice storm with extensive power outages in St. Louis this winter. (AP Photo/Bill Boyce) |
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President George W. Bush granted Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's request to declare the city of St. Louis and 34 Missouri counties federal disaster areas, including five counties in metropolitan St. Louis, the governor's office said Tuesday.
A winter storm hit the region Jan. 12-14. In a letter to the President Monday, Missouri U.S. Sen. Kit Bond wrote: "The I-44 corridor running from Oklahoma to Springfield to St. Louis was the hardest hit. The amount of damage caused by the winter storm is significant throughout the affected area."Blunt declared a state of emergency Jan. 13 and then sent about 550 Missouri National Guard Troops to the Springfield and St. Louis areas in response to the storms.
The federal disaster declaration includes the counties of: Barry, Barton, Callaway, Camden, Christian, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Jasper, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Montgomery, Newton, Osage, Phelps, Polk, Pulaski, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Louis, Stone, Warren, Webster and Wright, and the city of St. Louis for debris removal and emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, under the public assistance program.
Blunt said in a statement that the severe winter storms caused eight deaths and knocked out power to more than 330,000 Missourians. Local officials have established 89 shelters, which have assisted about 3,000 people.
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| Fallen tree limbs weighted with ice caved in the roof of a parked car in Springfield, Mo., Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007. A crippling winter storm lashed Missouri with another blast of freezing rain, sleet and snow Saturday, causing widespread power outages from St. Louis to Springfield and leading Gov. Matt Blunt to declare a state of emergency (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) |
Fallen tree limbs completely block a street in Springfield, Mo., Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007. A crippling winter storm lashed Missouri with another blast of freezing rain, sleet and snow, causing widespread power outages from St. Louis to Springfield and leading Gov. Matt Blunt to declare a state of emergency. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) |
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| Ice covered branches cover a lawn in the St. Charles neighborhood in St. Louis Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007. St. Louis was hit with an ice storm overnight that left more than 100,000 people without power. This is the second severe ice storm with extensive power outages in St. Louis this winter. (AP Photo/Bill Boyce) |
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