For the second time in three months, Mississippi is asking for federal aid to help residents and municipalities affected by extreme weather.
On Tuesday, Gov. Tate Reeves requested a major disaster declaration from the White House to address severe storm damage in Southwest Mississippi and the Pine Belt. A total of seven tornadoes struck the area between May 6 and May 7, bringing powerful winds and flash flooding and causing injuries across multiple counties.
If approved by President Donald Trump, the declaration would make residents of five counties eligible for Individual Assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It would also help local governments with debris cleanup and infrastructure repairs under FEMA’s Public Assistance program.
Reeves has requested individual and public assistance for the same five counties: Franklin, Lamar, Lawrence, Lincoln and Wilkinson.
“The state of Mississippi will continue to do everything in its power to help Mississippians rebuild and recover,” the governor said in a news release Tuesday. “My Major Disaster Declaration request is the next step in that process.”
In the five counties affected by the spring storms and tornadoes, 425 homes sustained damage, Reeves’ Tuesday news release stated. Of those, 88 homes were destroyed, while 112 suffered major damage and 140 experienced minor harm. Those numbers could change as damage assessments continue, and the governor may amend his initial petition to request assistance for additional counties.
No weather-related fatalities have been reported in the state, though 26 Mississippians sustained injuries.
“Our state continues to pray for those recovering from injuries and for the families and communities affected by these storms,” the governor said Tuesday.
In February, Reeves requested a separate disaster declaration in response to Winter Storm Fern, which swept through Mississippi in late January and caused prolonged blackouts across much of the state. Trump approved Public Assistance funding for affected counties within days of the request, but Mississippians had to wait until mid-April before the president granted Individual Assistance.
