The federal government has expanded disaster assistance for Mississippi months after Winter Storm Fern, offering direct aid to residents who suffered losses amid the severe weather.
In an April 11 news release, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that President Donald Trump has approved Individual Assistance for 36 counties statewide, making residents eligible for funds to cover home repairs and other storm-related expenses. The decision comes nearly 10 weeks after Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves requested FEMA funding for affected Mississippians along with Public Assistance for local governments.
The White House signed off on Public Assistance within days of Reeves’ request, but Individual Assistance remained pending until Saturday. Lawmakers have previously estimated that statewide damages from Fern could reach as high as $400 million.
“My request for Individual Assistance … for counties affected by the January 23-27 severe winter weather has been approved by President Trump,” the governor posted on social media over the weekend. “Thank you to President Trump for approving my request.”
Individual Assistance is meant to bolster state and local recovery efforts, offering grants for temporary housing and low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, among other resources. The funds could offer a lifeline to Mississippi storm victims, some of whom drained their savings buying emergency generators or booking hotel rooms for days at a time.
“We’re grateful that the president has decided to help our residents,” Mississippi Emergency Management Association Chief Communications Officer Scott Simmons told the Mississippi Free Press on Monday. “Hopefully this (approval) will provide money to compensate them for what they spent recovering from the storm.”
The following counties are eligible for Individual Assistance after Saturday’s approval: Adams, Alcorn, Attala, Benton, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Claiborne, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Marshall, Montogomery, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Warren, Washington, Yalobusha and Yazoo, as well as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Residents of those counties can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362 after filing claims with their insurance providers, Simmons said. Meanwhile, MEMA is preparing to set up disaster recovery centers in strategic locations where storm victims can get help requesting aid.
“People who are perhaps uncomfortable (applying for assistance independently) or don’t have internet access can come to a DRC and they can take care of it right there,” Simmons explained. He encouraged residents to have receipts of their storm-related expenditures handy to increase their chances of reimbursement.
The Individual Assistance approval comes days after Reeves signed the “Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program Act,” a measure designed to help local governments pay for winter storm damages while they await federal reimbursement. The governor had vetoed an earlier version of the program, which will offer low-interest loans to cover debris removal services and infrastructure repairs.
Lawmakers from hard-hit districts applauded the bill’s enactment, noting that it will solve funding challenges for cities and towns struggling with cleanup costs.
“It’s definitely a relief,” Rep. Sam Creekmore, R-New Albany, told the Mississippi Free Press on April 8. “The Legislature was very strong about getting this money out, and really understood (its potential impact).”
It’s not clear how quickly municipalities will have access to the emergency loans following the bill’s signing. MEMA has been tasked with managing the program and dispensing the funds, but the agency is still waiting on final details from the governor’s office, Simmons said Monday.
“This was a lawmaker-driven initiative,” Simmons explained. “We’ve been doing pre-planning on how to accommodate (the program) and give that money to those county and city agencies who need it and want it.”
