Tornado recovery in St. Louis is a mess. The city blames Trump's FEMA changes
Nov 16, 2025•14 min
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Episode description
It's been six months since a tornado hit St. Louis and damaged more than five thousand buildings and homes.
Residents and local officials say the Trump administration's new policy on federal disaster assistance has meant they have been left to do the work traditionally done by FEMA.
Editor's note: After this story aired, the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to NPR's request for comment. In a statement, FEMA said that it has not implemented any new policies or "experiments" related to its programs that provide aid to individuals and local governments. It also said that “the administration cares deeply about the people of Missouri” and is fully committed to supporting Missouri and St. Louis leadership as they navigate recovery from the tornado. "Federal, state and local partners are fully aligned" to assist survivors, the statement said.
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Residents and local officials say the Trump administration's new policy on federal disaster assistance has meant they have been left to do the work traditionally done by FEMA.
Editor's note: After this story aired, the Federal Emergency Management Agency responded to NPR's request for comment. In a statement, FEMA said that it has not implemented any new policies or "experiments" related to its programs that provide aid to individuals and local governments. It also said that “the administration cares deeply about the people of Missouri” and is fully committed to supporting Missouri and St. Louis leadership as they navigate recovery from the tornado. "Federal, state and local partners are fully aligned" to assist survivors, the statement said.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
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