Unemployment Benefits Available to Victims of March 30-April 8 Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding

November 25, 2025

Presidential Disaster Declaration Makes Individual Assistance Available to Designated Counties in Southern, Southeastern Missouri Jefferson City, MO – Missourians in affected counties whose employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, or flooding that occurred from March 30 to April 8, 2025, may apply for up to 55 weeks of Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA).

Effective October 22, 2025, previous major disaster declaration FEMA-4872-DR has been amended to include individual assistance which also provides for DUA.

DUA provides unemployment benefits and re-employment assistance services to survivors affected by a disaster. This assistance is only available to those survivors who are not eligible for regular state unemployment insurance.

“A stable income is a fundamental part of disaster recovery,” Department Director Anna Hui said. “These benefits are essential to providing affected Missourians with the financial stability they need to meet their families' needs and participate fully in the long-term work of community recovery.”

The Missouri Department of Labor’s Division of Employment Security will be accepting applications for DUA through January 26, 2026, from affected individuals in Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cooper, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Ozark, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard, Vernon, Wayne, and Washington counties. Eligibility for DUA will be determined on a week-to-week basis and an individual can only receive benefits for as long as his or her unemployment continues as a result of the disaster.

To be eligible for DUA benefits under Presidential Disaster Declaration FEMA-4872-DR, individuals:

• Must be an unemployed or self-employed worker whose unemployment was a direct result of the major disaster declared by the President; and
• Must be a U.S. national or a qualified alien; and
• Must not qualify for regular unemployment insurance benefits from any state; and
• Must have worked or been self-employed in, or must have been scheduled to begin work or self-employment in, one of the counties listed above; and

• Must establish that the work or self-employment they can no longer perform was their primary source of income.
  Also eligible to apply for DUA are individuals who:

• Can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to the place of employment as a direct result of the disaster; or

• Cannot perform work or self-employment because of an injury that was a direct result of the disaster; or

• Became the breadwinner or major support of a household because of the death of the head of the household as a direct result of the disaster; or

• Cannot work or perform self-employment due to closure of a facility by the federal government as a direct result of the disaster.
  Applicants are required to provide proof that they were employed or self-employed at the time the disaster occurred, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment when the disaster occurred. This proof of employment must be filed with the initial claim or within 21 days of filing their DUA claim. To file a claim, individuals will need their Social Security Number and the name and address of their last employer or prospective employer. A copy of the individual’s most recent federal income tax forms or check stubs may also be required. Self-employed individuals should also provide Schedules SE and Schedule C or Schedule F.

To file a DUA claim online 24/7 visit uinteract.labor.mo.gov. For assistance with filing a claim, call a Regional Claims Center Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at (800) 320-2519. Missourians impacted by the severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, or flooding that occurred from March 30 to April 8, 2025, in all declared counties can register for additional assistance by calling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at (800) 621-3362, TTY (800) 462-7585, or register with FEMA online at DisasterAssistance.gov.

To find additional resources across the state, visit the Missouri Recovery Portal at recovery.mo.gov.

Communications Staff

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 573-751-4091 communications2@labor.mo.gov