Kehoe requests federal declaration after deadly storms

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Gov. Mike Kehoe's office requested a federal emergency declaration Monday after storms ripped through Missouri last week, killing seven people.

Five people died in St. Louis and two in southeast Missouri's Scott County when tornadoes hit Friday. Experts who surveyed the area say the St. Louis twister showed damage consistent with an EF-3 tornado, which packs winds of up to 165 mph.

Kehoe's office said on Monday that the governor has asked President Donald Trump to issue a federal emergency declaration for the storm response, which would authorize federal assistance and up to $5 million for storm response and debris removal.

Kehoe also asked FEMA to help with a preliminary damage assessment in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Cape Girardeau, Iron, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne counties in southeast Missouri.

Six teams are set to survey damage on Wednesday to see if individual assistance will be made available from FEMA.

Missouri has created a website with information about disaster recovery to assist storm victims.