FEMA Approves Private Property Debris Removal Support for St. Louis

Today, Mayor Cara Spencer is proud to join Gov. Mike Kehoe in announcing that FEMA has approved additional assistance to support clearing debris from private properties in St. Louis following the May 16 tornado.

For this mission, FEMA will provide an initial lump sum, in addition to the $100 million that the Missouri General Assembly has provided to the City of St. Louis for disaster relief, with FEMA covering 75% of eligible debris removal costs.

The State of Missouri and the City of St. Louis will lead the private property debris removal efforts, with the State procuring a contractor to complete the work and the City obtaining right of entry from property owners before debris can be removed from private property. FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will support with on-the-ground technical assistance, oversight and best practices.

“This is a big win for St. Louis and will help us quickly and effectively help St. Louisans get uninhabitable buildings off their property, making it possible to move toward rebuilding after the tornado,” said Mayor Spencer. “Getting this federal assistance is a result of great collaboration and strong bipartisan support from Missouri’s entire delegation to Washington. I particularly want to thank Sen. Schmitt and Gov. Kehoe for leading a tremendous push over the past few weeks to bring this help to St. Louis.”

"Debris removal is a critical first step toward recovery, clearing the way not just for rebuilding, but for restoring hope and safety," said Julian Nicks, chief recovery officer for the City. "Removing debris is the most visible form of progress. This will accelerate our efforts to remove 1M MT of debris still sitting in our communities on private property. We must and will invest in restoring and reimagining North St. Louis. This is a big leap forward."

Related Resources

• STL Recovers