ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

ST. LOUIS — President Donald Trump on Monday approved Federal Emergency Management Agency aid to help St. Louis and its residents recover from the May 16 tornado, Missouri leaders announced.

Gov. Mike Kehoe said Trump had called him Monday night to inform him of the decision.

The governor said on social media that St. Louis County and Scott County in southeast Missouri also are included in the president's disaster declaration. Further details on the federal outlay will be released as they become available. he said.

Mayor Cara Spencer said she hadn't confirmed a figure yet. However, Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said in a post on X that Trump approved $71 million in aid to help eastern Missouri communities hit by last month's storms and thanked the president.

The governor also posted a thank you on X.

“I appreciate President Trump for calling me personally this evening to notify us that he has approved Missouri’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to the May 16 severe storms and tornadoes. Missourians are grateful for the President’s leadership,� the governor said.

Shortly after, Spencer posted her own message: "Help is on the way!"

At a news conference later, the mayor thanked the governor, Schmitt and the state's other Republican senator, Josh Hawley, for "having our back and pushing this forward." She also cited the involvement of the Democratic House member representing the city, Wesley Bell.

"We know that it takes a concerted effort, especially in the political climate in which we are right now, to make this designation possible, and we're very, very grateful for the support," Spencer said.

The news came as local and state governments have scrambled to build a patchwork disaster response since the tornado.

State legislators have fast-tracked $100 million of relief money, while city officials on Monday opened the "Disaster Assistance Center" at Chaifetz Arena, offering a range of social, housing and health services.

City leaders have also discussed using $30 million from the Rams lawsuit settlement towards tornado relief.

Spencer said the FEMA disaster designation approved Monday is only for assistance to people affected by the tornado and that a later allocation would be for aid to local governments involved in the recovery.Ìý

She called it "a critical first step" in unlocking federal assistance.

"This means that we are moving in the right direction," she said, and "that we have the attention of our president."

She also said she would welcome a visit by the president to St. Louis.

"I'd be ecstatic to have President Trump here to see, feel, to understand the destruction that we've had, to see the personal impact, and I would welcome the opportunity to take him on a tour myself," the mayor said.

Earlier on Monday, in a press conference before the FEMA aid was announced, Spencer said the city's resources were being stretched thin and that "cities are not set up to address disasters."

"We are the poster child for why we need federal assistance when it comes to natural disasters because we cannot shoulder this alone," she said.

The May 16 storm cut a 22-mile path across the St. Louis region, damaging thousands of structures and killing five people in the city.

Kurt Erickson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this story.