One Month After Mississippi Tornadoes, Massive Recovery Mission Going Strong

Release Date Release Number
NR-021
Release Date:
April 26, 2023

MADISON, Miss. – One month after President Joe Biden signed a major disaster declaration for storm-ravaged Mississippi, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have provided tornado survivors with $17.5 million in federal disaster assistance. The work is just beginning. It is a mission closely shared with the state of Mississippi, Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, state and national nonprofits, voluntary agencies, and faith-based organizations that are fully engaged.

“Our communities have made great strides in this response and recovery process,” State Coordinating Officer Todd Demuth began. “We couldn’t do this without the help of our local, state, and federal partners. Our faith-based organizations and volunteers have made a significant difference in the recovery process as well. While it may be a long road to recovery, Mississippians prove time and again we will persevere, and the state will be there every step of the way.”

As of April 25, FEMA has approved $4.1 million to help homeowners and renters with temporary housing in Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola and Sharkey counties following the March 24-25 storms. FEMA has also provided $3 million to help survivors with storm-related necessities like childcare, storage, disaster medical and dental expenses, and cleaning supplies.

“We are committed to helping people get a safe roof over their heads as quickly as possible,” said Federal Coordinating Officer John F. Boyle. “We are working with the state to provide immediate temporary solutions – including hotels, rental assistance, and other tools. Our focus is to meet the immediate sheltering need, give survivors a jumpstart on their recovery, and to bridge the gap between today and the long-term solutions.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration is following suit by already approving $10.4 million in disaster loans and continues to review and process new applications daily.

FEMA home inspectors have completed more than 2,800 inspections, pushing more applications forward for review.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance specialists have knocked on 12,800 doors, interacting with more than 8,300 individuals, in an undertaking to meet survivors where they are and answer questions about federal disaster assistance.

FEMA continues to ensure federal support is available to all affected communities, including people with disabilities, Limited English Proficiency (LEP), and those in underserved populations.

There are also six Disaster Recovery Centers in each of the designated counties and two Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers which provide one-on-one assistance. More than 3,600 survivors and their families have spoken with specialists at a DRC. To find the closest center to you, visit fema.gov/drc.

How to Apply to FEMA

You can apply for FEMA disaster assistance at any Disaster Recovery Center, but there are other options, as well.

For example, create an online account at disasterassistance.gov, call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 from 6 a.m. to midnight CT seven days a week. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA the number for that service. You can also use the FEMA mobile app. Just download it via text messaging; on an Android device, text ANDROID to 43362 (4FEMA) or on an Apple Device, text APPLE to 43362 (4FEMA).

You may be referred to SBA to request a low-interest disaster loan after you submit your FEMA application. Survivors are encouraged to go through the entire process as this may open the door for additional resources for their recovery.

For the latest information on recovery from Mississippi tornadoes, visit March 24 2023 Severe Weather Disaster Information - MEMA (msema.org) and 4697 | FEMA.gov. Follow FEMA Region 4 (@femaregion4) / Twitter and at facebook.com/fema.

Tags:
Last updated