Mississippi’s top elected officials at the federal level have joined together to urge President Donald Trump to sign Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration.
The request follows a deadly line of severe weather on March 14 and 15 – storms that killed seven and injured nearly 30 more. National Weather Service officials confirmed that 18 tornadoes touched down in the outbreak, dealing tens of millions of dollars in damage to 25 Mississippi counties.
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, Michael Guest, and Mike Ezell sent a bipartisan, joint letter to Trump endorsing the governor’s request for an expedited major disaster declaration for the state, along with individual federal assistance for 14 counties.
If approved by Trump, the presidential disaster declaration would unlock additional federal resources to supplement ongoing state recovery efforts.
“In the wake of recent extreme weather that brought severe thunderstorms and violent tornadoes to the State of Mississippi, we request your full consideration of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration,” the group of lawmakers wrote. “Available resources from state and local governments and volunteer organizations are inadequate to meet the state’s recovery needs. Significant federal assistance and cooperation are needed for Mississippi to rebuild.”
The backing of the D.C. lawmakers echoed the governor’s sentiments from Monday. Reeves recognized the valiant efforts of agencies on the ground already working to recover and rebuild the communities affected but also pointed to the need for additional resources.
“These storms had a devastating impact on our communities throughout Mississippi,” Reeves said upon requesting federal assistance. “Our state continues to pray for those who lost their lives, are recovering from injuries, and their families. We’ll do whatever it takes to help Mississippi communities rebuild and recover. This request is the next step in that process. The state of Mississippi will be there for as long as it takes.”
Should Trump sign off on the request, it would be the first time he has mobilized FEMA assistance since criticizing the agency and threatening to slash it altogether.
