Over two months after 18 tornadoes ripped through Mississippi, killing seven and causing millions in damage, the federal government has approved the state’s request for assistance.
Gov. Tate Reeves said in a press release Friday that the request filed April 1 for Individual Assistance and Public Assistance programs through FEMA had been approved by the White House. The tornadoes impacted at least 23 counties on Friday, March 14, and Saturday, March 15, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. 19 counties were included in the request.
“I’d like to thank President Trump for approving my request for Individual and Public Assistance,” Reeves stated. “This support will go a long way in helping Mississippi to rebuild and recover. Our entire state is grateful for his approval.”
Individual Assistance was approved for Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall counties. The program is available to residents and businessowners and can include grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.
Public Assistance was approved for Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall, and Washington counties. The purpose of the program is to support municipalities and counties with grant assistance for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures, and restoration of public infrastructure. It does not include assistance for homeowners or businessowners.
Residents in the approved counties who sustained losses during the mid-March tornado outbreak can apply for assistance online or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Those who are hearing or speech impaired should call 1-800-462-7585. The disaster number is: DR-4874.
Why the wait?
The release from Reeves did not explicitly note a reason why the FEMA assistance took over two months to be approved by the White House, although some believe it was delayed due to Trump’s efforts to overhaul the federal agency and other bureaucratic processes to get through. The move to approve the assistance request comes as residents in impacted areas have called for the federal level to help for over a month.
“They’ve got so much bureaucracy to fool with. We’ve got to find some way to cut through this,” Walthall County volunteer firefighter Bobby McGinnis said in an interview on April 9. “For weeks, these people have been living with their mom or uncle, or somebody has donated them a place to stay.”
McGinnis added that he would like to see a quicker response time by the federal level: “While you’re dragging your feet and sitting on your hands…people are suffering.”
Mississippi’s congressional delegation also urged Trump to approve the request. U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, along with U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, Michael Guest, and Mike Ezell, sent a bipartisan letter to the White House on April 2 supporting the expedited major disaster declaration for the state and individual federal assistance for impacted counties.
