Saline part of disaster declaration

Saline County is one of nine Missouri counties covered under a federal disaster declaration after tornadoes and severe thunderstorms raced across the state Sunday, March 12.

Other counties included in the declaration are Pettis, Johnson, Christian, Hickory, Monroe, Perry, Randolph and St. Genevieve.

The federal declaration means assistance including grants for temporary housing or housing repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property and other programs to aid individuals and business owners in recovering from the storms' effects.

Gov. Matt Blunt, along with the state's two U.S. senators, Kit Bond and Jim Talent, had requested quick action by the George W. Bush administration so cleanup efforts could be expedited.

"It's a fast turnaround," Talent said of Bush's declaration.

"Everybody in the delegation has been pushing for this."

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the counties covered, including Saline, can begin applying for assistance Friday, March 17, by either registering online at http://www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing or speech impaired.

The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time seven days a week until further notice.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Contact Mark Lile at

marshallbusiness@socket.net