PEARL, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves announced that President Donald Trump declared Bolivar, Choctaw, Clay, DeSoto, Oktibbeha, Panola, Prentiss, Sunflower, Tishomingo and Washington Counties as federal disaster areas on Thursday, March 12, 2020. The declaration is in response to the severe storms producing straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding that impacted Mississippi on January 10-11, 2020.
Those ten counties are eligible for Public Assistance, which is reimbursement grants to local governments and non-profit organizations for things like damage to infrastructure, debris removal and overtime to responders.
This is the first federal disaster for 2020.
The State DID NOT surpass the criteria required for Individual Assistance, which is federal assistance to individuals and households.
“More counties could be added to the declaration at a later date”, says MEMA Executive Director Greg Michel. However, those counties can only be requested for addition if warranted by the results of the counties damage assessments.
Mississippi is also approved statewide for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is for measures/actions taken that reduce or eliminate long term risk to people and property from natural hazards.