All six members of Mississippi’s congressional delegation signed a letter urging President Donald Trump to approve a major disaster declaration to assist recovery from tornadoes and severe weather that struck the state on May 6 and 7. Gov. Tate Reeves sent the declaration request on Tuesday.
The request seeks individual and public assistance for Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln and Wilkinson counties. The storms, which included at least seven tornadoes, damaged 425 homes and injured 26 people. Of those homes, 88 were destroyed and 112 received major damage.
“Several of the tornadoes caused catastrophic damage, including an EF3 tornado that, at times, exceeded a mile in width and remained on the ground for nearly 70 miles,” said the letter sent on Wednesday from U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, and U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, Michael Guest and Mike Ezell. “Communities across the impacted region continue to face significant recovery challenges in the aftermath of these storms.”
In addition to the tornadoes, the storm event included straight-line winds, hail and flash flooding, the governor’s request said.
This marks the second such request Mississippi has sent the federal government in 2026. To aid recovery from Winter Storm Fern in January, the Trump administration approved the state’s request for public assistance in February and for individual assistance in April.
“The magnitude of the destruction has placed extraordinary strain on state and local resources, and the capabilities of volunteer and charitable organizations alone will not be sufficient to meet the long-term recovery needs of affected communities,” the letter added.
