Heavy rain transformed Stockade Road near County Road 1500 into a waterway on Wednesday. Floods and flash floods created hazards throughout much of southern Missouri on Tuesday and Wednesday. --Justin Messner/Daily Mail

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- On Wednesday, Gov. Matt Blunt asked President Bush to quickly approve disaster declarations for both individual assistance and public assistance for 70 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis as a result of flooding and severe weather across the entire central and southern parts of Missouri, including Vernon County.

"The current flooding conditions are causing great hardships on Missourians who are being evacuated from their homes, rescued from trapped vehicles, or are separated from their families," Blunt said. "I have directed all state resources to be available to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts in the affected areas."

Blunt noted that the U.S. Coast Guard has joined state agencies in the State Emergency Opera-tions Center specifically working on water rescue missions in southeast Missouri.

Blunt is requesting the aid for the following 70 counties: Audrain, Barry, Barton, Boone, Bollinger, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cedar, Christian, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Dunklin, Franklin, Gas-conade, Greene, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Mad-ison, Maries, McDonald, Miller, Mississippi, Mont-gomery, Moniteau, Mor-gan, New Madrid, Newton, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste Genevieve, Shannon, Scott, Stoddard, Stone, Taney, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Wayne, Washing-ton, Webster, and Wright counties. As damage information continues to become available, he may request additional counties.

The State Emergency Operations Center is coordinating state resources assisting local governments with their emergency protection actions ranging from water rescues, mass care and sheltering operations, monitoring road closures, security and transportation missions, drinking water, sanitary sewage, energy supplies, debris, and status of regulated dams, coordinating health and safety visits for long-term care facilities and other vulnerable populations, and contacting long-term care providers in the affected areas to determine needs for back-up power or other critical needs. Preliminary damage assessments will be requested as soon as flood waters recede enough to allow access to damaged areas.