Fact Check: Missouri's disaster funding request was denied after nearly 20 fatalities from storms.

Fact Check: "Missouri's disaster funding request was denied after nearly 20 fatalities from storms."

What We Know

The claim that Missouri's disaster funding request was denied after nearly 20 fatalities from storms is partially accurate. Following severe storms that occurred in March and April 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe requested federal disaster assistance. The President approved two of these requests for major disaster declarations related to storms that occurred on March 14-15 and March 30-April 8, 2025, but the request for assistance related to the storms on April 29 was still under review as of May 23, 2025 (source-2). Additionally, the storms on May 16 resulted in seven fatalities, and the process for requesting assistance for these storms was still underway at that time (source-2).

Analysis

The claim suggests that a funding request was denied, which is misleading. While it is true that the request for disaster assistance related to the April 29 storms was still under review, the earlier requests for the March storms were approved. This indicates that not all requests were denied; rather, some were still pending evaluation. The mention of "nearly 20 fatalities" is also somewhat ambiguous, as the confirmed fatalities from the storms mentioned were seven from the May 16 storms (source-2).

The sources used in this analysis are credible, with the primary source being the official press release from the Missouri Governor's office, which provides direct information about the disaster declarations and the status of funding requests. However, the claim lacks context regarding the approval of previous requests and the ongoing nature of the disaster assistance process.

Conclusion

The verdict is Partially True. While it is accurate that there were fatalities and that some disaster funding requests were still under review, the claim inaccurately implies that all requests were denied. In reality, some requests were approved, and the situation regarding disaster assistance is ongoing.

Sources

1. MO.gov
2. President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe's Requests for Major Disaster Declaration
3. Missouri Department of Revenue
4. State of Missouri Disability Portal | Disability Benefits
5. Minimum Wage | Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
6. Presidential Declaration Amendment of a Major Disaster