Alert

WASHINGTON – Following a request from U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted Joplin’s request for an extension to the deadline for completing four projects as part of recovery efforts from the 2011 tornado that devastated the region.

Last month the Senators requested FEMA give full consideration to Joplin’s request for an extension. The projects will repair streets, sidewalks, catch basins, curbs and gutters. An extension allows Joplin to complete the projects as part of the city’s broader disaster recovery efforts while continuing to receive reimbursements from FEMA.

“The Joplin tornado had a devastating impact on much of the local infrastructure, and the federal government can help ensure the community continues to have the support it needs to rebuild,” Blunt said. “This extension will provide much-needed flexibility for recovery efforts that still need to be done. I’ll continue working with local, state, and federal officials to ensure Joplin has the support and resources it needs.”

 “This extension gives Joplin more time to complete the critical infrastructure projects that’ll continue to help the city’s roads recover from the devastating tornado,” McCaskill said. “It’s good news for the city, and for taxpayers – giving Joplin the flexibility to sequence its projects in a way that’ll reduce wasteful spending.”

Blunt and McCaskill have continued to support recovery efforts in the Joplin area since the 2011 tornado. Earlier this year, the Senators wrote to the Department of Homeland Security supporting the Joplin Public School System’s second appeal for funding high school repairs.

Read the Senators’ letter to FEMA HERE.