St. Louis secures new FEMA funding for tornado debris removal
ST. LOUIS - St. Louis has secured new FEMA funds to support private property debris removal and cleanup efforts after the May 16, 2025 tornado, state officials say.
Expedited disaster assistance has been approved as of Thursday, according to announcements from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt.
The funding will help with tornado recovery operations in the City of St. Louis while utilizing FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) technical expertise to ensure safe, efficient, and accountable debris removal operations.
On July 11, St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer sent a letter to state officials requesting assistance from USACE for large-scale debris removal efforts. The request was backed by the entire Missouri congressional delegation, and Schmitt forwarded the request in a letter to FEMA for a final decision.
Schmitt estimates the new commitment from FEMA could be as much as $180 million, including an initial $63 million payment to jumpstart debris removal.
“I’m glad to see FEMA approve this critical mission to aid recovery efforts following the devastating storms and tornadoes that struck the St. Louis region on May 16, 2025. This will unlock rapidly deployed federal funding and assistance to strengthen state and local efforts to remove debris, protect public health and safety, and support St. Louis’ full recovery. Since the storm I have been clear – this is not a partisan issue, this is a Missouri issue. To that end, I worked closely with the Trump administration, Governor Kehoe, Mayor Spencer, and Missouri’s federal delegation to advocate for these vital resources to help the St. Louis community recover,” said Sen. Schmitt.
“We appreciate the efforts of President Trump and Secretary Noem to ensure that the State of Missouri and the City of St. Louis have the expedited funding and the resources we need for our recovery efforts,” said Gov. Kehoe. “The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency will continue to work with city and federal officials on debris operations and support a safe, timely recovery for St. Louis. Our office has been proud to work closely with Senator Eric Schmitt, alongside the rest of Missouri’s federal delegation, and Mayor Spencer to ensure St. Louis can move forward and expedite its recovery.”
During the original request, Spencer estimated that tornado cleanup for private debris removal could take 6-8 months with help from USACE, compared to a potential timeline of 18 months without the assistance.
Spencer expressed hope last week that FEMA funding would be secured during FOX 2's request for comment about President Trump mentioning St. Louis as a possible stop for the National Guard. Her statement read, in part:
"St. Louis absolutely needs President Trump’s help to lead in a great American comeback story for our City and Missouri by bringing in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as soon as possible to take on the massive task of removing tornado debris. Tens of thousands of St. Louisans were badly hit by the mile-wide tornado, and debris removal is essential to meeting our community’s housing and safety needs.
Our request for that help is sitting on FEMA’s desk, so St. Louis needs the President to step in, make it happen and help St. Louis in its comeback," said the statement.
St. Louis and Missouri officials will lead the private property debris removal mission. Next steps include the state procuring a contractor to complete to work and the city obtaining Rights of Entry from a verified owner before debris can be removed from eligible private property. FEMA and USACE will provide on-the-ground technical assistance, oversight, and best practices to help accelerate progress and protect public safety and health.
