Hawley Requests Additional Disaster Relief Funds for Missouri Following 2025 Tornadoes

Hawley Requests Additional Disaster Relief Funds for Missouri Following 2025 Tornadoes

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) requested that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development fully fund the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program to provide much-needed relief to Missourians. This program can provide additional, flexible resources for long-term rehabilitation and recovery for the St. Louis region following the 2025 tornadoes.

Senator Hawley wrote, "I write to urge the subcommittee to allocate robust funding in the next funding vehicle for long-term disaster relief. As you may know, on May 16, 2025, a devastating tornado struck the City of St. Louis, killing at least five people and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. President Trump rightly approved a major disaster declaration for the incident. One year later, further federal resources are still required to help this community rebuild."

He continued, "Local officials in Missouri estimate the outstanding federal needs for full rehabilitation and recovery are between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. The Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program can provide the flexible, long-term recovery funding that the region requires for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. This program has historically been used for such purposes, and Missouri has received substantial allocations for major disasters in the past. However, there have been no additional appropriations for this program since the end of 2024."

Senator Hawley concluded, "I request that the CBDG-DR program be fully funded to provide adequate resources to meet these outstanding needs in Missouri."

Read the full letter here or below.

July 21, 2026

Senate Committee on Appropriations
Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
The Capitol,
Room S-128,
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chair Hyde-Smith and Ranking Member Gillibrand,

I write to urge the subcommittee to allocate robust funding in the next funding vehicle for long-term disaster relief. As you may know, on May 16, 2025, a devastating tornado struck the City of St. Louis, killing at least five people and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. President Trump rightly approved a major disaster declaration for the incident. One year later, further federal resources are still required to help this community rebuild.

While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has now disbursed short-term relief in both individual and public assistance, there remain gaps in federal aid. Local officials in Missouri estimate the outstanding federal needs for full rehabilitation and recovery are between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. The Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program can provide the flexible, long-term recovery funding that the region requires for housing, infrastructure, and economic revitalization. This program has historically been used for such purposes, and Missouri has received substantial allocations for major disasters in the past. However, there have been no additional appropriations for this program since the end of 2024.

As you work on appropriations legislation for both outstanding disaster needs and the upcoming fiscal year, I request that the CBDG-DR program be fully funded to provide adequate resources to meet these outstanding needs in Missouri. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Josh Hawley

United States Senator

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