Still too early to determine Joplin tornado recovery costs

As Missouri recovers from the colossal tornado that leveled Joplin and the severe flooding in other parts of the state, cleanup efforts have been complicated by the lack of financial data on how much rebuilding will cost.

State officials still do not have an exact figure for the costs of reconstruction from one of the worst tornadoes in recent history let alone from the floods, which in some parts of the state have yet to recede.

On Tuesday, Missouri’s Senate held a hearing to get an understanding on how much the state will have to pay for the cleanup and restoration of Joplin, yet none of the witnesses called to testify were able to provide a number.

The representatives of state agencies all said it was still too early to say what the costs would be and that most were waiting for more information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or other federal agencies.

“You can’t even give us a number in the ball park?” asked State Senator Kurt Schaefer, who chaired the hearing.

“We just don’t have enough information,” said State Budget Director Linda Luebbering. “And I don’t want to give you numbers that are dramatically wrong. I would rather wait just a little bit longer and give you decent numbers.”

According to Luebbering, none of the state’s agencies have heard estimates from the federal government on what they plan to pay and what the state will have to cover.

“Any numbers that I have seen or even heard have varied so widely, we can’t count on them,” Luebbering said.

In addition to the Joplin tornado, the state must also recover from flooding in the southeast and northeast, a tornado that damaged the St. Louis International Airport, and the flood waters in the northwestern part of the state have yet to recede.

Missouri governor Jay Nixon has set aside $150 million to pay for the state’s share of the recovery and lawmakers are considering using $250 million from the Rainy Day fund if additional funds are needed.

The state has been forced to slash their budget in order to help residents recover, and lawmakers are hoping to avoid making deeper cuts.

“We know we have those obligations, and we absolutely want the local communities to know that the state has money set aside to meet its obligations,” Luebbering said. “We don’t want there to be any doubt in those local communities’ minds.”