Unemployment assistance is available to residents in 11 Mississippi counties following mid-March tornadoes and storms that devastated much of the state.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security announced that assistance is available for those in the following counties: Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall. The update from the agency comes a week after Gov. Tate Reeves notified the public that federal assistance had finally been approved for the state more than two months after disastrous conditions struck.
According to officials, individuals who live or work in one of the affected counties and could not work because of major destruction that occurred on March 14-15, caused by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding, are entitled to apply for unemployment benefits.
Self-employed individuals who were living or working in the affected areas at the time of the major disaster and those who are unemployed as a result of the major disaster may be eligible for relief. In addition, those who were unable to reach their jobs because the disaster prevented their travel, or who were scheduled to begin employment, but the disaster prevented them from doing so, may also apply.
The tornadoes impacted at least 23 counties in mid-March, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. 19 counties were included in a request from the state for federal assistance.
Individuals eligible for DUA are those who:
- Were unemployed for at least one week after the date of the disaster
- Became the income provider or major support for a household because of the disaster-related death of the head of the household
- Cannot work because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster
- Could not work or lost work as a result of physical damage or destruction of a business, or unable to work because of the physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure
- Were scheduled to start work and do not have the job as a direct result of the disaster
Online applications are available 24 hours a day. Folks can also call (601)493-9428 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to fill out an application for relief. The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Each claim will be reviewed to determine eligibility to receive financial aid.
