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.

“It is important to remember that dead animals must be disposed of in compliance with state law,” said Amanda Marney, a University of Missouri Extension agriculture preparedness specialist headquartered at MU Southwest Research Center in Mt. Vernon.

For the disposal law, see revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=269.020 or call the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health at 573-751-3377.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has produced a four-page fact sheet, “Natural Disaster Assistance for Missouri Citizens: Disaster-Related Animal Production Mortalities Emergency Procedures.” The publication is available online at http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub1250.pdf. This fact sheet also includes resources and contact information available from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health.

Rural residents in southwest Missouri also can call their DNR regional office in Springfield at 417-891-4300.

For elsewhere in Missouri, contact your nearest DNR regional office:

Kansas City, 816-622-7000.

Southeast (Poplar Bluff), 573-840-9750.

Northwest (Maryville), 660-562-1876 or 660-562-1877.

St. Louis, 314-416-2960

For tornado-related news, information and other resources from MU Extension, see https://extension.missouri.edu/topics/tornadoes.

For additional disaster-related resources from MU Extension, see https://extension.missouri.edu/news/disaster-readiness-resources-from-mu-extension.