Trump OKs individual assistance for parts of Mississippi damaged by winter storm in January
By Mississippi Today | Originally published by Mississippi Today
People and businesses in 36 Mississippi counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians can apply for federal grants for home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to aid in recovery from the winter storm that barreled through the state Jan. 23-27.
President Donald Trump has approved Gov. Tate Reeves’ request for individual assistance in parts of the state through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the governor announced Saturday.
Winter Storm Fern caused widespread damage as it swept through the South. In Mississippi, it coated roads and bridges with ice, knocked down thousands of trees, toppled power lines and left 180,000 customers without electricity at its peak. Some residents went without power for weeks.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said the storm caused 29 deaths in the state.
Where is FEMA allowing individual assistance?
The counties where people and businesses can apply for individual assistance from FEMA are Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Marshall, Montgomery, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Warren, Washington, Yalobusha and Yazoo.
Reeves said in his statement that residents of the 36 counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians who experienced losses during Winter Storm Fern will be able to apply for assistance by registering at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA help line at 1-800-621-3362. The disaster number is DR-4899.
The governor’s statement also provided a FEMA phone number for the hearing or speech impaired: 1-800-462-7585 (TTY). But when Mississippi Today called to check that number Saturday, a recording said: “This line is no longer in service.” The recording told people to call 1-800-621-3362, and people who use a video telephone service or captions are advised to leave a message at that help line for a callback from FEMA.
What about aid for local governments?
MEMA also said all 82 counties have been approved for some level of public assistance from FEMA, which reimburses local and state government agencies for emergency response costs, debris removal and restoration of disaster-damaged public facilities and infrastructure. Some nonprofit organizations and houses of worship may also be eligible for assistance, MEMA said.
Local governments in the 38 hardest-hit counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are approved for all levels of public assistance from FEMA. Those counties are Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Choctaw, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Itawamba, Issaquena, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Marshall, Montgomery, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wilkinson, Yalobusha and Yazoo.
The other 44 counties are approved for public assistance in Category B, which is for emergency protective measures.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
