Fact Check: "Missouri's disaster requests were denied after nearly 20 fatalities from severe storms."
What We Know
The claim that Missouri's disaster requests were denied after nearly 20 fatalities from severe storms is inaccurate. In fact, the state of Missouri has received approval for major disaster declarations from President Donald J. Trump in response to severe storms that occurred in March and April 2025. Specifically, on May 23, 2025, it was announced that two disaster requests related to storms from March 14-15 and March 30-April 8 were approved, allowing federal assistance to be made available to affected counties (source-1).
Moreover, the total fatalities reported from severe storms during this period were 19, with 13 deaths attributed to the March 14-15 storms and 6 deaths from the March 30-April 8 storms (source-2). Therefore, while the number of fatalities is close to 20, the assertion that disaster requests were denied is incorrect.
Analysis
The claim lacks accuracy as it contradicts the documented evidence regarding the federal disaster declarations for Missouri. The approval of these declarations indicates that federal assistance was granted rather than denied. Governor Mike Kehoe's requests for disaster assistance were based on substantial damage assessments and were ultimately approved, which is a clear indication that the federal government recognized the severity of the situation (source-1).
Additionally, while there were delays in the approval process, the requests were not outright denied. For instance, the timeline shows that requests made on April 2 and May 1 for earlier storms were also approved, demonstrating a consistent response from federal authorities (source-2, source-4).
The sources used in this analysis are credible, coming from official state press releases and FEMA announcements, which are reliable for understanding the status of disaster declarations and federal assistance (source-1, source-5).
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that Missouri's disaster requests were denied after nearly 20 fatalities from severe storms is false. The state received approval for major disaster declarations, allowing federal assistance to aid recovery efforts. While there were significant fatalities from the storms, the assertion of denied requests does not align with the documented approvals from federal authorities.
Sources
- President Trump Approves Governor Kehoe's Requests for Major Disaster Declaration
- Governor Kehoe Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Severe Storms
- President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Missouri
- Governor Kehoe Requests Federal Disaster Declaration in Response to March 30-April Storms
- President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Missouri
- IRS provides tax relief for taxpayers impacted by severe storms
- Missouri governor confident in disaster declaration requests
- St. Louis waits for aid as FEMA response to Missouri disasters is slow
