Tagged: New Year's Eve

When a natural disaster hits, the devastation left behind isn't always limited to destroyed property and emotional distress.

Another element -- fraud -- is sometimes an unwanted companion to the recovery process.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has asked the president to issue a disaster declaration for areas hit by tornadoes and severe storms on Dec. 31.

Nixon on Friday requested federal individual assistance for people living in Carter, Christian, Dent, Franklin, Phelps, Polk, St. Louis, Stone and Webster counties as well as the city of St. Louis.

Five Missouri residents were killed by the severe weather.

A Fenton woman injured in the tornadoes that ripped through St. Louis on New Year's Eve has died.

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Margaret Birkes, 70, of Fenton died Monday morning at St. Anthony's Medical Center, a spokeswoman there said. According to relatives, Birkes was either going to or leaving a Dierbergs store at Fenton Crossing when the storm struck.

She was badly injured and taken to St. Anthony's.