‘FEMA Has Not Been on the Ground’: St. Louis Mayor Pleads For Federal Aid in Wake of Devastating Tornado

St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer told MSNBC on Monday that FEMA had yet to assist after the city was ravaged by a tornado days prior.

The tornado first touched down in St. Louis on Friday. The storm — reportedly 20 miles in length at its strongest — killed at least five people in St. Louis County at the time of writing. Spencer reported during a press conference that 38 people had been injured, and that number was expected to increase as recovery efforts continued.

Friday’s tornado was one of many that affected the region over the weekend, with Kentucky also being hit by storms. At the time of writing, dozens of the dead had already been found.

During an appearance on MSNBC on Monday morning, Spencer told Ana Cabrera that the city was in desperate need of federal aid.

“I can tell you that on the local level, every organization, community member, elected official has been on point,” Spencer said. “What we need right now is federal assistance. This is where FEMA and the federal government has got to come in and help communities. Our city cannot shoulder this alone. The state of Missouri cannot shoulder this alone,” she said, adding:

We need partners at the national level, at the federal level, to step up and help — and this is not just true for St. Louis. Cities across the nation, when they are experiencing disasters such as this, this is what the federal government is for. We need your help. We need the help of the broader community. We have set up a fund to help bring in some funding right off the bat, just to bridge that gap, but we need federal assistance.

That prompted Cabrera to ask if FEMA was on the ground in St. Louis yet. Spencer said the agency was not.

“FEMA has not been on the ground,” Spencer responded. “We do not have confirmed assistance from FEMA at this point. I do want to say, however, every other level of government has been on the ground with us helping in every capacity possible. But when you have a disaster of this scale — eight miles of just pure destruction — this tornado didn’t just touch down and leave. This tornado ripped through our community for a full eight miles in the city of St. Louis, and this is an area that has needed help that, we need investment. Our North St. Louis has been neglected for a long time and we need the help of our partners here.

“We are so grateful for this opportunity to talk to a wider audience here just to show just how much destruction has happened here, and how our community has truly come together at this point; but we can’t do it alone,” concluded the mayor.

Watch above via MSNBC.