WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.) sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to declare nine Missouri counties and the City of St. Louis a federal disaster area in the wake of recent tornadoes.

Missouri’s U.S. Senators stressed that federal assistance is essential to help the state’s communities recover from the severe storms that moved through the state late last month.

The full text of the letter is below.

January 17, 2011

The Honorable Barack Obama

President

The White House

Washington, DC 20005

Dear Mr. President:

Governor Jay Nixon, on January 14, 2011, requested a disaster declaration for the State of Missouri as a result of the severe storm system which moved through the state from December 30 to December 31, 2010. This storm system resulted in five deaths and numerous serious injuries. This series of storms produced high winds, tornadoes, and hail throughout the state, particularly the Interstate-44 corridor, resulting in significant damage to primary residences, businesses and public infrastructure. In fact, the National Weather Service reported that at least 14 tornadoes touched down statewide. Therefore, we respectfully urge your speedy approval of this disaster declaration request.

The Governor has included 10 jurisdictions in this request, including nine counties and the independent City of St. Louis. The storms caused significant damage in each jurisdiction. The severity and magnitude of this disaster, paired with the fact that Missouri has suffered other natural disasters in the past year, has led the Governor to determine that an effective response to these storms are beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments. Accordingly, the Governor is requesting Individual Assistance (including the Individuals and Households Program, Disaster Unemployment Assistance and Crisis Counseling), Hazard Mitigation, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Again, it is our hope that you will grant Governor Nixon’s request promptly, to help state and local governments recover from this disaster. Along with our fellow Missourians, we eagerly await your decision on this request for assistance.

Sincerely,

Claire McCaskill Roy Blunt                  Roy Blunt

United States Senator                         United States Senator

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