While the destruction caused by severe weather events is often readily shared with the public via news coverage in the immediate aftermath of major storms, homeowners can often feel the catastrophic effects well after the dust has settled, after volunteers have left town, after aid has dried up. Thanks to a new bill in Missouri, residents there may soon be able to obtain some longer-term relief when extreme weather damages their homes.
In a special legislative session called by Governor Mike Kehoe to address pressing matters, the state Senate in early June and the House in mid-June passed a disaster relief bill that could offer much-needed help to St. Louis-area homeowners, especially those impacted by a devastating tornado that ripped through the city in May.
According to a National Weather Service report, a line of storms that developed in the Midwest produced an EF-3 tornado. The tornado resulted in five confirmed deaths, 39 injuries, and over $1 billion in property damage.
The new disaster relief bill includes a tax credit applicable to 2025 damage. It is intended to enable any Missouri taxpayer to have their home insurance deductible, up to $5,000 per household, factored into their tax liability for the year, according to Insurance Business. As noted in the bill, the damage must be a "direct result of a disaster for which a request for a presidential disaster declaration has been made by the Governor."
Less than two weeks after the tornado struck, Kehoe issued a statement announcing the special session and urging lawmakers to provide relief to homeowners. "We call on legislators to use this special session as a rare opportunity to support our vulnerable neighbors in their time of need, drive economic development, and make transformative investments in our state," Kehoe said. "This work is too important to leave unfinished."
The bill quickly gained support among Missouri lawmakers as the state waited for the approval of federal recovery aid for St. Louis. On June 10, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a press release announcing the approval of federal disaster assistance, which would be made available to state, Tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations.
"These disasters are so expensive that without federal help, there's no way we can cover all of this," state budget director Dan Haug told the Missouri Independent. "We just don't have the general revenue resources to do that."
Strong provisions for financial relief for residents, whether they own property or not, may be ever more essential as rising global temperatures fuel the frequency and intensity of storms. But municipalities may also increasingly seek to pass legislation aimed at reducing heat-trapping emissions and building green, resilient infrastructure as a part of disaster preparedness. For landlocked states, that may also include preparing for a potential uptick in the inland impacts of strengthening hurricanes, including tornadoes.
Missouri's relief package now heads to Kehoe for approval. The governor is expected to sign the bill.
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