Texas County was among 14 counties declared federal disaster areas by President Biden after historic flooding that swept through the region in November, said Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday.
Significant infrastructure damage was reported, including to bridges and roads Nov. 5 in Texas County. The funds will aid 17 townships in the county.
The declaration makes federal public assistance available for the repair of damaged roads, bridges and other public infrastructure as well as reimbursement of associated emergency response and recovery costs. The governor’s Nov. 26 request included nearly $45 million in qualifying expenses already identified.
“This is important news as the communities impacted by November storms continue on the path to recovery,” Parson said. “We appreciate the president making federal assistance available, which will provide millions of dollars in much-needed support to help our local partners repair roads, bridges and other critically important infrastructure.”
The following counties also are included in the declaration: Carter, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Shannon, Washington and Wright.
The disaster declaration also makes assistance available statewide through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Program, which assists with cost-effective measures to reduce the potential for future damage to public infrastructure as a result of natural disasters.