Nixon views devastation

"Preparation is key"

PUXICO, Mo - Gov. Jay Nixon paid a visit to Puxico Thursday afternoon, first at an informational meeting at the City Hall, and then on an abbreviated tour of the devastation in the rural area east of the city.

While the governor stressed that his office was on hand to work with FEMA and SEMA officials in securing held for the storm stricken area, news had not yet come when the governor was in town that Wednesday morning's storm had been designated an EF-3 by the National Weather Service.

The NWS determination as to the force of the storm will partially govern what kind of relief is in store for those affected by the storm's wrath.

Nixon commended the efforts of all responders to the storm, especially those of the local fire and rescue teams who were on hand in the aftermath of the storm that left one Puxico man dead and his wife severely injured. At least two residents remain hospitalized.

Nixon was quick to point out the four points he says he has repeated over his time in office when disaster strikes.

"It may be repetitive," he told the group packed into Puxico's City Hall building, "but sometimes it saves lives."

Preparation, Nixon said, is key. "Preparation clearly saved lives across the state in this situation."

"Number two is emergency response," the governor said. "It's important that we are supporting local folks to make the decisions. The people who know best what to do are the folks on the ground at the local areas - we stand with the assets we have at the state level, and federal, if necessary- to back up the local folks. We have found that the eyes on the ground leading have the clearest vision generally."

Thirdly, Nixon noted the importance of a policy in keeping with "repair and restore."

When devastation hits, he said, "That means we've got a construction job coming. We're going to rebuild and restore anything that sustains significant damage."

Finally, the governor sited policy review as a fourth step in dealing with the "calm after the storm".

"We look back and ask how we could have done things better."

Nixon noted the path of Wednesday morning's storm from Kimberling City near the Arkansas border all the way to the Oak Ridge area not far from the Illinois border.

"We mourn those who were lost. We support those who were injured," Nixon said in closing. "But to look at a storm of this magnitude and only see three fatalities statewide means that the first responders here and in the other communities involved have ingrained in Missourians a preparation mode that is important in saving lives and that's what we're in the business of doing."