ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – President Donald Trump has approved disaster declarations for multiple tornadoes from March 14-15 in the state of Missouri, according to two Missouri U.S. Congressmen.
Missouri U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R) and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-8th District) both announced that Trump has approved Missouri’s request to authorize a federal disaster declaration in the state.
Officials from both offices tell FOX 2 this was for tornadoes that struck the state from March 14-15, 2025. A spokesperson for Rep. Smith’s office says this declaration includes St. Louis County and many southern Missouri counties.
Hawley’s office added that Trump approved two major declarations that will help with “assistance for recovery and rebuilding” for tornadoes and severe storms through early April.
The requests leading to these declarations are separate from one made Monday after an EF-3 tornado struck the City of St. Louis one week ago Friday, killing five people and damaging 5,000 properties.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer acknowledged some concerns with securing federal funding for the May 16 tornado, but expressed confidence that her office, along with local and state officials, are doing everything possible to get a disaster declaration approved.
Earlier this week, FOX 2 analyzed data and found that it typically takes a little over two months – or 67 on average – for major disaster declarations to be approved following severe weather events.
President Trump, nor FEMA, has not yet made a formal public statement of the approved disaster declarations reported by Hawley and Smith as of 10 a.m. Friday.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.
NOTE: Video in story is From FOX 2’s coverage of March 14 tornadoes in Villa RIdge, Missouri.