U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) today sent a letter to the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requesting that the agency work closely with the state to ensure current and any future assessments of damages caused by recent severe weather are performed in a thorough and expiditious manner.  He also requested that members of the Missouri Congressional delegation be kept well-informed throughout that process.

Luetkemeyer’s letter was sent to FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate regarding Governor Nixon’s recent requests for Joint Individual Assistance (IA) Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) for several counties in the state, some of which are in the Congressman’s district. IA PDAs are the first step in collecting the information necessary for governors to determine if federal emergency assistance is needed.  

“It is important that FEMA is working closely with the state to do everything possible to help Missouri families recover from effects of the recent severe weather. These assessments are key in determining the extent of damages and collecting information that must be obtained in order to decide how to best respond,” Luetkemeyer said. “While a great deal of the damages are in my district, damages also spread across the state, which is why the the entire Missouri Congressional delegation should receive updates to relay any information.”

Luetkemeyer’s congressional district comprises 13 counties and the Mississippi River runs along the east side of the district for roughly 75 miles, while a major tributary to the Mississippi – the Missouri River, runs through the center of the district for roughly 140 miles.