24-05-2025
FEMA funds aid Missouri counties hit by severe weather
WRIGHT COUNTY, Mo. — The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today that federal disaster assistance is coming to Missouri following severe weather that tore through multiple counties in March and April.
Here in Southwest Missouri, Wright County will be receiving some of those funds, after a tornado hit rural parts of the county on March 14th.
The Amish community was mostly impacted; due to religious reasons, the Amish would not speak on camera. Neighbors that live nearby tell Ozarks First they do not believe their Amish neighbors will accept any of the federal funding.
'We appreciate FEMA and I just hope that the Amish does take some help. I doubt it, but I hope that they do,' Gwen Reed says.
Today, President Trump announced federal funding for over a dozen Missouri counties, including multiple counties in our viewing area. The funding is to help recover from severe weather that hit on March 14 and 15, as well as March 30, through April 8.
'It was pretty devastating and pretty scary. When it hits so close to here, it makes you a little more alert,' Reed says.
For the March 14th storms, federal funding is available for individuals or local governments and non-profits impacted by the severe weather. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing or home repair, low-interest loans and other programs.
Rex Cole helped his Amish neighbors rebuild after the tornado. He tells Ozarks First they have their own ways of paying for supplies after disaster strikes.
'They won't take no funds. No money. If they worked for me and they got hurt, they won't come to me for funding to pay for any medical bills. They take care of all their own stuff,' says Cole.
The Webster County Office of Emergency Management says they have not received many details yet on the specifics of the funding or how much the county can receive.
Cole says he is glad the government is not overlooking rural areas like his.
'That's even better to me that they're hitting more rural areas instead of the big cities. I mean, because they need just as much funding as everybody else does. So yeah, it's a great thing,' Cole says.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
