An employee reacts to damage at Kings Beauty on Friday, May 16, 2025, after a tornado ripped through the business at City Plaza in the Fountain Park neighborhood of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
Laurie Skrivan, Post-Dispatch
JEFFERSON CITY — Missourians left jobless by the tornado and storms on May 16 can now receive disaster unemployment benefits.
The Missouri Department of Labor announced Thursday that the presidential disaster declaration issued Monday paves the way for workers affected by the severe storms and tornado to apply for up to 30 weeks of financial assistance.
Areas in the order include ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ city, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County and Scott County. The assistance is only available to those survivors who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance.
“A critical part of recovering from disasters such as these is the ability to continue to provide for our families and take care of their needs,†Department of Labor Director Anna Hui said. “That’s why disaster unemployment assistance benefits are so important as our families and communities recover.â€
The tornado damaged thousands of buildings as it tore through the city. Five people were killed. City officials have estimated the total cost of the disaster at more than $1.5 billion.
In requesting a disaster declaration, Gov. Mike Kehoe said preliminary assessments had identified $58 million in public costs so far and at least $18.7 million in individual resident needs.
State lawmakers also have fast-tracked $100 million of relief money. The governor is expected to sign legislation approved in the recently ended special session on Saturday.
According to the Department of Labor’s Division of Employment Security, applications for unemployment benefits will be accepted through Aug. 8. Eligibility will be determined on a week-to-week basis and an individual can only receive benefits for as long as his or her unemployment continues as a result of the disaster.
To be eligible, individuals must be unemployed as a direct result of the storms. They must establish that the work they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
Applicants are required to provide proof they were employed or self-employed at the time the disaster occurred or were scheduled to begin work when the disaster occurred.
The police officer body camera footage shows officers arriving minutes after houses collapsed, bricks trapped residents.Â
An employee reacts to damage at Kings Beauty on Friday, May 16, 2025, after a tornado ripped through the business at City Plaza in the Fountain Park neighborhood of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.
