Emergencies and disasters

Tornadoes

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Emergency management: Tornado and storm recovery

Tornado recovery resources

Tornado recovery resources are available for Joplin, Sedalia and St. Louis. Para los recursos de recuperación de desastres, busque en la pestaña de publicaciones. Bob Foos photo

Clean-up safety advisory

Joplin residents affected by the tornado and those of you who might be going to Joplin as part of a cleanup crew, look for red, yellow or green notices on buildings. A team of engineers and architects organized by SEMA inspected buildings in the disaster area for structural safety. Collapsed buildings are assumed to have a red notice even if you do not see a notice on the building.

If you see a red notice, it is unsafe to be in the structure. Restrict your cleanup to outside the building and wear protective gear (hard hats, steel-toed workbooks, respirators, work gloves). Many of the red notice buildings can collapse or become more dangerous during wind or cleanup operations. A yellow notice means the building has an unsafe portion. Please read the sign for more information. A green notice building is safe.

En Espanol

Para los recursos de recuperación de desastres, busque en la pestaña de publicaciones.

Disaster assistance numbers

This contact list has been created for Joplin area residents. The SW Missouri Disaster Response and Recovery Contacts includes contact information for disaster assistance, volunteers and donations.

Financial recovery and risk management

Don't be a victim twice. MU Extension's EMW1022, Financial Recovery and Risk Management contains expert advice on dealing with insurance companies and contractors when recovering from a disaster.

How to replace vital documents

After a disaster, you may have to replace social security cards, adoption records, birth certificates and other documents. I Need a Copy Of...(PDF) explains how to replace those documents.

How to file a disaster claim

People affected by a natural disaster should file a claim with FEMA as soon as possible. How to Make A Claim to FEMA explains the process.

Temporary roof repairs

Avoid further damage to buildings by making temporary roof repairs. The How-to-Install Self-Help Tarp (PDF), from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, explains the correct way to make those repairs.

Getting back to business

The Missouri Small Business Development Centers are available to help businesses affected by tornadoes reopen the doors. Disaster resources for Missouri businesses

News

Scams and fraud add insult to injury after a disaster
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
CARTHAGE, Mo. – People can become victims twice in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Storm recovery resources
Friday, August 19, 2011
Frank Wideman, MU Extension natural resources engineering specialist, can answer reporters’ questions on disaster readiness, response and recovery at the household, community and state level: 573-547-4504 or widemanf@missouri.edu.
Remedies exist for trees wounded by storm
Thursday, August 18, 2011
GALENA, Mo. — Repair may be in order to keep storm-damaged trees healthy and less susceptible to disease and insects, says a University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist.
Snakes on a flood plain
Friday, July 22, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Floods and severe storms can leave more than just people homeless. Displaced snakes, rodents and other nuisance wildlife often will seek shelter and food in areas close to people, said Bob Pierce, MU Extension fisheries and wildlife specialist.
Protect yourself from contractor fraud
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When storms, floods and other disasters leave damaged homes in their path, local contractors often get more business than they can handle. In many cases, out-of-town contractors will arrive in force to pick up the slack.
Let flood-damaged homes dry thoroughly before installing new coverings
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
PERRYVILLE, Mo. – Before replacing drywall and floor coverings in your flooded home, make sure building materials have had enough time to dry out, cautions a University of Missouri Extension community emergency management specialist.
A safe room of one's own
Thursday, June 16, 2011
JOPLIN, Mo. – Harold Noirfalise used to curse the big steel box in the garage of his Joplin home. It was there when he and his wife, Brenda, bought the house a couple years ago. The box shared space with a pickup, a car and a workshop where he built radio-controlled model airplanes, making for a crowded garage.
Media available: 4 photos; 1 videos
Warm, wet weather can trigger mold growth
Monday, June 6, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Moisture and rising temperatures can turn parts of your home into ideal sites for mold growth, said a University of Missouri Extension housing and environmental design specialist.
Media available: 1 photo
Tornadoes will have an impact on livestock
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
MT. VERNON, Mo. — The real impact of the May 22 tornadoes in Joplin and rural Stone County on area livestock and producers may not be known for several months.
Take care using chain saws during storm recovery work
Friday, May 27, 2011
MARSHFIELD, Mo. — Homeowners and disaster-recovery volunteers who use chain saws should use extreme caution to prevent injuries.
Avoiding injury during post-disaster cleanup
Friday, May 27, 2011
SEDALIA, Mo.– Megan Webb, nutrition and health education specialist for University of Missouri Extension, advises homeowners and disaster-recovery volunteers to be safe during the cleanup process in this video news story.
Media available: 1 video
Tips for safe food preparation after a disaster
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
LAMAR, Mo. – There are several tips to remember about safe food preparation in disaster situations.
Saving your food when the power goes off
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
LAMAR, Mo. – When the power goes off, there is a simple rule of thumb for saving refrigerated food: The colder the foods, the longer they will keep, said a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health education specialist.
Three easy steps for getting safe drinking water
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
MARHSFIELD, Mo. – In the aftermath of a disaster, the safety of your water supply might be in doubt. Bob Schultheis, a natural resource engineering specialist with University of Missouri Extension, says drinking water can be disinfected by ONE of the following methods:
Follow state law when disposing of dead animals
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
MT. VERNON, Mo. –Rural landowners in southwest Missouri have begun cleanup after the severe tornadoes and thunderstorms on May 22. Many agricultural producers are left to also deal with the remains of livestock that were killed during the series of storms that passed through the area.
MU Extension website features resources related to Joplin tornado
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—University of Missouri Extension has set up special website (http://extension.missouri.edu/tornado) containing MU Extension resources that could be helpful to homeowners, landowners, business owners, emergency responders, volunteers, partnering organizations and others with a direct or indirect interest in the tornado that hit Joplin and the response that is underway. The content -- publications and news articles as well a list of contacts and timely information from MU Extension relevant to the recovery process -- will be updated and added to on a regular basis.
Insulation and plastic spread by tornadoes may not mix well with livestock
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- Agriculture and livestock specialists with University of Missouri Extension have been getting questions from southwest Missouri cattle producers wondering about the danger fiberglass insulation in fields can pose to cattle.
Disaster-readiness resources from MU Extension
Monday, May 23, 2011
University of Missouri Extension has resources to help you and your family prepare for and recover from disasters.
Property loss from disasters may be tax deductible
Monday, May 23, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Disaster victims may recoup some of their uninsured losses because uncompensated property losses from natural disasters are tax deductible, said a University of Missouri Extension consumer and family economics specialist.
Media available: 1 video
May 22 tornado among the state’s deadliest
Monday, May 23, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. – With the death toll expected to top 100, the tornado that devastated Joplin on May 22 will rank among the most lethal in Missouri history.
Tornadoes prompt interest in shelters and safe rooms
Monday, May 23, 2011
MARSFIELD, Mo. –Recent devastating tornadoes might prompt many Missourians to take a closer look at their safety in future storms.
Media available: 1 video
Call insurance adjuster to determine hail damage
Monday, May 23, 2011
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Owners of storm-damaged homes should be wary of out-of-town roofing companies offering their services because of recent tornadoes and hail.