Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson and Pettis County Commissioners have issued a disaster declaration after torrential rains and flash flooding occurred overnight Tuesday, May 31, 2022.

The declaration gives the Mayor and County Commissioners certain emergency powers to address the effects of the disaster. Such powers allow for quick actions to mitigate damages to public infrastructure and the property of citizens. The powers also allow the City and County to quickly restore essential operations and services.

Additionally, the declaration instructs all public officers and employees of Pettis County and the City of Sedalia "to exercise the utmost diligence in the discharge of duties required of them for the duration of the response to such disaster and in the execution of emergency action laws, regulations, and directives."

In their press release talking about the disaster declaration the City of Sedalia says the gathering of damage and clean-up information is the first step the City is taking to determine whether Sedalia might receive any help from the State of Missouri or the Federal Government. The second step will be seeing how the storm impacted other counties in Missouri and if it meets a threshold where Governor Parson could request aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help impacted communities and counties in the state.

City officials are working with local and state emergency management agencies to coordinate efforts and determine the extent of damages in our community. Mayor Dawson has asked all Sedalia residents with storm damage to report it through the City of Sedalia website using the customer portal. Step-by-step instructions on how to use the customer portal will be included at the bottom of this post.

Pettis County residents outside of Sedalia should report flood damage on the Pettis County website here. The County's form does a better job at walking the user through what needs to be included in their submission.

The City of Sedalia's press release points out that at this point there are no assurances of any federal assistance forthcoming to help the City, County or its residents clean up and repair damage from this storm. Citizens reporting damage to both public infrastructure and private property is a good first step to making sure that happens.

Step by Step instructions for Sedalia Residents reporting storm damage through the City's customer portal. This information is provided by the City of Sedalia and can also be found here.

From your computer or smartphone:

• Go to sedalia.com
• On the right-hand side of the screen, click on the blue tab labeled "Report Issues/Ask Questions"
• When the "Customer Portal" window opens, click on the "Report Issue/Ask Question" icon
• Click in the box under "Issue Description"
  • Describe briefly in narrative form the flood damage you experienced.
    Be sure to include:
    • Date and time the flood damage occurred
    • If the flood damage is in the basement, include the depth of the water in the basement
    • List of items damaged by the flood waters with approximate value
    • Steps taken to clear the flood water and restore the basement to pre-flood conditions
• Drop down to the next section of the form "Drag & Drop or Browse file" and click on "Browse file"
  • In this section, you will attach the documentation you have collected. The list below may not include all documents you may have available. If in doubt, it is better to include the document.
    • Select photos of the:
      • Flooded basement before cleanup
      • Damaged property
      • Receipts for cost of remediation of damages
      • Receipts for costs of replacement property
      • Estimates for cost of repairs
      • Any invoices related to the cost of remediation and repairs
• Drop down to the next section of the form and click on the "Next" button. The "Select Category" section opens
• Click on the "Rain Disaster 05-31-22"
• Enter your address in the text box
• Click the blue icon labeled "Next"
• Enter your first name in the text box
• Enter your last name in the text box
• Enter your email address in the text box
• Enter your mobile number in the text box
• Enter your work phone number in the text box
• Click the blue icon labeled "submit"