JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon requested a federal disaster declaration Wednesday for Missouri counties with damage from last week's tornado outbreak.

Nixon's request includes declarations for Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard counties, all of which were hit by National Weather Service-confirmed tornadoes in the early morning hours of Feb. 29.

During a visit to Oak Ridge last week, Nixon estimated the cost of damage statewide at hundreds of millions of dollars. Nixon visited the Oak Ridge School District on Thursday on a statewide tour of storm damage after stopping in Branson, Cassville, Buffalo and Puxico, which were the cities hardest hit by the storms.

Eighteen counties are included in his request. Teams from federal and state emergency management agencies conducted damage surveys in affected counties last week, the results of which were submitted to the governor's office before his declaration request. If the request is granted, assistance in the form of grants and loans may become available from FEMA. A guide to federal disaster assistance is available online at www.fema.gov/assistance.

Pertinent address:

Oak Ridge, MO

Branson, MO

Cassville, MO

Buffalo, MO

Puxico, MO