St. Louis will close applications on Feb. 14 for the Private Property Assistance Program and street and alley debris pickup to mitigate May 16 tornado damage, officials announced Tuesday.
City officials said the state will demolish and remove debris from FEMA-eligible properties. The city’s recovery office is responsible for demolition and debris removal for noneligible properties as well as all repairs.
The deadline marks the end of the ongoing Right-of-Way Debris Clearing Program to remove debris and hazardous trees from streets and alleys in the tornado path. The city stated in a release that the PPA program will be the next phase in its ongoing efforts to provide tornado relief for an estimated 5,000 homes and rental units and over 800 businesses.
“We have a limited window to ensure all are registered so all available funds can be used to benefit residents,” Mayor Cara Spencer said in a release. “We are asking every eligible property owner, family member, neighbor and community partner to help spread the word and make sure no one misses this opportunity.”
Spencer said in a Thursday press briefing that the city has not spent any of the $100 million allocated by Missouri lawmakers to reimburse tornado relief spending, placing the blame on changes to FEMA that have slowed relief efforts. City officials stated in a release that the state and its contractors will manage demolition and debris removal efforts for FEMA-eligible properties.
The city encourages all property owners with May 16 tornado damage to apply. The city will host a community meeting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Yeatman-Liddell Middle School to help residents with applications.
City officials stated in a release that properties will be assessed for eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
“The delivery of services has not started in scale as the city and state are hiring and onboarding contractors, but work is expected to accelerate in March after contractors are onboarded,” Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks stated in a release.
The city will announce locations for two more community meetings on Feb. 17 and March 17.
