(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – Governor Mike Parson today announced that Missouri has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) participate in joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) in 17 counties in response to severe storms and flooding. The joint teams will survey damage that began with severe storms on June 19 and continued through July 1 in preparation for the state's official request for federal disaster assistance.

“The extremely heavy rains that affected much of Missouri in late June resulted in flash flooding that caused significant and costly damage to roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure,” Governor Parson said. “SEMA has continued to communicate with our local partners about damage estimates, and it is clear that a number of counties have sustained high levels of destruction and response costs and that Missouri is approaching the levels required to qualify for federal disaster assistance.”

Once approved, PDAs will be conducted for Andrew, Boone, Buchanan, Caldwell, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Cooper, Holt, Howard, Lincoln, Livingston, Moniteau, Montgomery, Ray and Saline counties. In the coming days, additional counties are likely to be added to the PDA request as more damage is documented locally. Joint PDAs are being requested for FEMA Public Assistance, which assists governments and eligible nonprofit organizations by providing reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs.

Joint Damage Assessment Teams are made up of local emergency managers and representatives from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and FEMA. Working together, the teams will document damage to public infrastructure and estimate recovery costs. Requesting joint PDAs is one of the first steps the state must take in order to request the President to issue a federal Major Disaster Declaration. For Public Assistance, both state and county thresholds would need to be met in order for a county to be included in the request.