Sen. Bond visits Bootheel

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond and a number of Pemiscot County, state and federal officials toured this town of 6,700 on the banks of the Mississippi River Monday, more than two weeks after an F-3 tornado leveled neighborhoods in the city.

The senator arrived at the Caruthersville Airport at approximately 4:15 p.m. Monday and boarded a shuttle bus crowded with state and Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) personnel; U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson chief of staff Lloyd Smith; Caruthersville Mayor Diane Sayre; Dist. 162 state Rep. Terry Swinger, D-Caruthersville; state Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter; United States Department of Agriculture FSA official Mike Blankenship; Missouri Department of Transportation officials and others.

The bus tour included a stop at Braggadocio, where Bond and the group met with residents impacted by the tornado, and a return trip to Caruthersville, where the bus stopped at the storm-damaged high school, a FEMA disaster recovery center and a 15-acre site near the levee.

From left, Dist. 162 Rep. Terry Swinger, D-Caruthersville, in foreground, and U.S. Sen. Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., are briefed Monday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Buck Katt at a 15-acre site in Caruthersville

Bond said on Monday that a number of Missouri counties were added to a Presidential Disaster Declaration after Pemiscot was granted the federal relief April 5, including Dunklin County, and that the arrival of the FEMA manufactured homes is imminent.

Nearly 40 such temporary structures were delivered to Marmaduke, Ark., since Saturday, sources said. That Arkansas town was all but destroyed by tornados April 2.

"Today, President Bush approved Missouri's request to increase the disaster declaration for affected counties," Bond said. "Andrew, Butler, Dunklin, Pettis, St. Francois and Stoddard counties were added under the Individual Assitance Program and Pemiscot will now be eligible for additional public assistance."

Also, Bond said he and his Congressional counterpart, Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., asked Bush to increase Pemiscot County's disaster declaration categories to include further federal assistance.

"This change, approved by the president today, will make funds available to affected communities for a number of additional needs, including repairs to road systems and bridges; water control facilities; buildings, contents and equipment; utilities; and parks and recreation," the senator said.

Bond was briefed about a number of issues, including what both Sayre and Emerson the No. 1 concern, temporary housing for displaced residents.

"The modular homes that were down in Arkansas will be here quickly now," Bond said. "So, we keep trying to find the positives to this negative situation, and there are plenty of them."

Caruthersville School Superintendent Nicholas J. Thiele said he took great pride in Bond's visit to the heavily damaged high school.

"For him to choose to stop by the school district tells me education is very important to the senator," Thiele said. "I'm encouraged by that.

"That's support on top of support we've already received from our state representatives, senators and the local government here," he added. "I'm optimistic that the district will do alright. We'll rebuild. I feel good enough to say the educational system in Caruthersville is on a positive track."

Bond said he couldn't remember an area devastated as heavily as Pemiscot County in his more than three decades of public service.