By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill is criticizing FEMA for not helping 19 families in northwestern Missouri whose homes recently were destroyed by flooding.
She blames the Hazard Mitigation program, which she says Missouri had used to buy more than 900 homes in the counties hit hardest by the recent flood.
"Because those homes have been taken out of the equation, it may be likely that we will have difficulty getting assistance for this flood," McCaskill said.
"In other words, because we've done a good job in preparing for a hazard such as a flood, we get penalized after a flood, because the damage we have is not significant enough."
McCaskill says she plans to meet with FEMA officials about the matter, and suggested that a Senate hearing might be needed to investigate the agency's Hazard Mitigation program.