Today, the City of St. Louis announced that Feb. 14 is the final day for right-of-way debris pickup (streets and alleys) in the tornado zone, as well as the deadline to apply for the Private Property Assistance (PPA) Program, which will provide stabilization and repair, demolition and debris removal services for private property owners.This coordinated effort, supported by city, state and federal resources, creates a time-limited opportunity for eligible property owners to receive these free services. The deadline is required to meet FEMA deadlines and ensure coordinated efforts on the ground. The Recovery Office is holding a series of community meetings, including tonight, Jan. 20, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at Yeatman-Liddell Middle School, 4265 Athlone Ave., where residents can receive support with PPA applications.”Debris removal and repairs are essential steps in tornado recovery, and we have a limited window to ensure all are registered so all available funds can be used to benefit residents,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “We are asking every eligible property owner, family member, neighbor and community partner to help spread the word and make sure no one misses this opportunity.”Since the tornado, the City has operated an ongoing Right-of-Way Debris Clearing Program to support emergency and community cleanup. As recovery advances, the Private Property Assistance Program, which opened applications on Oct. 21, now provides the next pathway for debris removal and demolition support, in addition to home stabilization and repair. The Right-of-Way Debris Clearing Program ends on Feb. 14, 2026.”The focus of the Recovery Office has been and through the deadline continues to be picking up debris from streets and alleys, collecting applications and conducting site inspections,” said Chief Recovery Officer Julian Nicks. “The delivery of services has not started in scale as the city and state are hiring and onboarding contractors, but work is expected to accelerate in March after contractors are onboarded.”What the Private Property Assistance Program IsThe Private Property Assistance Program is a city-led program, with state and federal funding and execution support that helps property owners who do not have enough funding to: Stabilize and repair damaged properties to habitability, where feasible Demolish structures that are unsafe or beyond repair Remove tornado-related debris and hazardous trees from private propertyThe City leads the application process, inspects all properties, develops scopes of work for contractors and handles demolition and debris removal for non-FEMA-eligible properties, as well as all repairs. The State and its contractors are responsible for demolishing and removing debris from FEMA-eligible properties.Property Owner-Eligibility All property owners whose buildings were damaged by the May 16 tornado and need support completing work are encouraged to apply, including: Residential property owners (home-owners and landlords) Commercial  

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