As Washington University enjoyed the snow on the South 40 swamp almost two weeks ago, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued a request to President Obama for federal disaster relief for Missouri.

The storm dumped more than an inch of ice in rural southern Missouri and was responsible for the loss of power in more than 100,000 Missouri homes and businesses. It is also blamed for the deaths of about a dozen people.

On Jan. 30, Nixon announced that Obama approved a request for a disaster declaration for Missouri in response to the winter storms of Jan. 26-28.

“I am asking the president to issue this major disaster declaration so that communities affected by the recent winter storms, including counties, local governments and rural electric cooperatives that have sustained severe damage, will have the resources necessary to return rapidly to business as usual,” Nixon said.

Obama granted Missouri an emergency disaster declaration that permits the state to receive federal assistance to cover its costs related to the storm. The declaration entitled affected areas to millions of dollars in federal disaster funds.

According to a White House press release from Nancy Ward, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the president’s action gave way for the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to manage and organize all disaster relief efforts to provide relief to the citizens on Missouri.

“The president’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” the statement said.

Nixon then requested that Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) waive the normally mandatory requirement that local and state governments pay for a portion of the emergency costs.

“I am requesting that President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency waive the requirement that state and local public entities pay a portion of these costs. This disastrous storm struck at a difficult economic moment, and I believe it is critical that Missourians have access to all available resources in getting back up and running,” Nixon said.

Despite Nixon’s request, the White House statement said that the federal government would only cover a portion of the cost burden.

“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency,” the statement said. “Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.”

The federal response to date has included 298,000 liters of water, 4,500 blankets, 2,250 cots and 50 generators.

Obama’s decision to grant federal assistance to Missouri comes after his previously declared federal emergencies for Arkansas and Kentucky.

Initially, Obama granted disaster relief for all of Missouri. This past Friday, Nixon requested further assistance for 22 Missouri counties located in southern Missouri.

While Obama’s initial declaration included St. Louis County, much of the funding was directed at counties in the south and southeastern parts of Missouri. St. Louis was affected less by the storm than many other counties in the state.

The University was not greatly impacted by the storm or the disaster declaration. The cost of the damage to the state caused by the storm is estimated at $193 million.