July 10th, 2026 Local News
Jefferson City, Mo. (KFMO) - Governor Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald J. Trump has approved Missouri's request for a major disaster declaration for 10 counties impacted by tornadoes, straight-line winds, severe storms, large hail, and flooding that swept across the state between April 23 and April 28, 2026.
Among the counties included in the declaration is St. Francois County, along with Carroll, Chariton, Greene, Holt, Howard, Monroe, Randolph, Ripley, and Saline counties.
Governor Kehoe praised the work of local officials and emergency response agencies throughout the recovery process.
"Local officials have worked tirelessly and in close coordination with both the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to document significant damage in the areas impacted by repetitive storms," Kehoe said. "We thank President Trump for approving Missouri's major disaster declaration and greatly appreciate the critical work handled by our local response agencies and the recovery efforts that are already underway."
The federal declaration makes FEMA's Public Assistance Program available to local governments and qualifying nonprofit organizations. Funding may be used to repair and restore damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure, as well as reimburse emergency response expenses related to the storms.
Governor Kehoe requested the federal disaster declaration on May 22 after joint Preliminary Damage Assessments were completed by the State Emergency Management Agency and FEMA. Those assessments estimated more than $36 million in damage to public infrastructure and emergency response costs across the affected areas.
The approval provides an important step toward helping communities recover from one of the state's most damaging rounds of severe weather this spring.