March 14-15, 2025 Severe Weather
FEMA may be able to pay you back for money you already spent on your recovery. Keep receipts for all the repairs you make and items you replace and provide them when applying for assistance.
Residents in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall counties who had uninsured home or personal property damaged or destroyed during the March 14-15 severe storms, flooding and tornadoes may be eligible for FEMA assistance.
FEMA can only approve home repairs that are not covered by your insurance and are necessary to make your home a safe and functional place you can live in. The repairs that may be eligible for assistance will vary depending on each person’s situation.
Even if you have insurance, we encourage you to apply for assistance. FEMA may be able to help if your insurance coverage isn’t enough.
Rental Assistance: If you can’t live in your current home or rental property because of the disaster, FEMA can help you pay rent for other housing.
FEMA may also provide assistance to repair or replace personal property for renters and homeowners that fall within the following categories:
Appliances: Includes standard household appliances, such as a refrigerator, washing machine, etc.
Clothing: Essential clothing needed due to overall loss, damage, or contamination.
Room furnishings: Standard furnishings found in a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living room.
Essential Tools: Tools and equipment required by an employer as a condition of employment, tools or equipment for those who are self-employed, and items required as a condition of an applicant’s or household member’s education. Eligible tools may include:
Computers
Equipment such as power tools, art materials, tractors, utility vehicles, lawnmowers and ladders
Uniforms
Accessibility Items: FEMA also provides assistance for damaged personal property items required because you or someone in your home has a disability.
You must meet the following conditions to receive Personal Property Assistance:
The item needs to be repaired or replaced due to disaster damage.
Someone in the household still needs the disaster-damaged item. FEMA may not provide assistance if you can meet that need with another similar item you already have.
The item was owned and being used by occupants of the household.
FEMA does not help with furnishings and/or appliances provided by a landlord.
Items used by guests and relatives who were not members of the household are not eligible for assistance.
Assistance for damaged vehicles
First, file a claim with your insurance company if you have a comprehensive policy. FEMA assistance may help fill the gaps for those whose coverage does not pay for any or all storm-related damage costs.
When you apply for FEMA assistance, you will need to verify the following:
Your vehicle was damaged during the storms, tornadoes and flooding.
Prove ownership of the vehicle with valid registration and title.
A minimum of liability insurance that meets the State of Mississippi requirements.
You have no other usable vehicle.
Privately Owned Roads and Bridges: If the only access to your home has been damaged by the disaster, FEMA may be able to pay for the required repairs.
Private wells and septic systems: If your well and septic system has been damaged by the disaster, FEMA may pay for the cost of a professional, licensed technician to visit your home and prepare an estimate detailing the necessary repairs or replacement.
In addition to the technician’s estimate, FEMA may also pay for the actual repair or replacement cost of your septic system or well. Neither is typically covered by homeowner’s insurance.
At the time of your home inspection, let the FEMA inspector know you have a private well and/or septic system that may have been damaged by the storm.
There are several ways to apply for assistance:
Download the FEMA mobile app
Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov
Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Help is available in most languages. The Helpline is available daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT.
Visit a Disaster Recover Center. For locations and hours visit: fema.gov/drc
For the latest information about Mississippi’s recovery, visit msema.org or fema.gov/disaster/4874.
Survivors can visit the following Disaster Recovery Locations:
County | Address |
| Covington - (Will close July 4th - 6th. Reopens July 7th) | Bobby Mooney Building 1613 S. Fir Street Collins, MS 39428 |
| Grenada - (Will close July 4th - 6th. Reopens July 7th) | 1240 Fairground Road, Suite G, Grenada, MS 38901 |
| Itawamba - (Closed) | Mantachie Community Center 265 Tishtontee Drive Mantachie, MS 38855 |
| Issaquena - (Closed) | Mayersville Multipurpose Building 132 Court Street Mayersville, MS 39113 |
| Jefferson Davis - (Closed) | Granby VFD 957 East St. Stephens Road Prentiss, MS 39474 |
| Leflore - (Closed) | Leflore County EMA Office 701 US 82 Greenwood, MS 38930 |
| Marion - (Closed) | Morgantown VFD 1464 Highway 587 Morgantown, MS 39483 |
| Pike - (Closed) | Silver Creek Baptist Church 8017 Silver Drive McComb, MS 39648 |
| Smith - (Closed) | Taylorsville Central Fire Station 200 Eureka Street Taylorsville, MS 39168 |
| Walthall - (Closed) | Walthall EOC 908 Armory Drive Tylertown, MS 39667 |
Center hours are 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday - Saturday; closed on Sundays
Residents in the approved counties who sustained losses during the March 14-15 severe weather can apply for FEMA assistance by using the FEMA App, going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use a relay service such as Video Relay Service, captioned telephone or other service, provide FEMA your number for the service.
What you need to bring/have
When you apply, you will be asked to provide:
- A description of the damage
- Your address at the time of the disaster
- Your Social Security number
- Contact information
- If you have insurance, your policy number, agent or company
- Annual household income
- Your bank account information for direct deposit
If you have insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible. FEMA can’t pay for losses your insurance will cover.
Rebuilding After The Storm
On May 21, 2025, the State of Mississippi received a major disaster declaration (DR-4874-MS). The Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) announced today that Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) is available for the following 11 counties in Mississippi: Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall Counties.
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, 2025, caused by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding are entitled to apply and may be eligible to receive unemployment benefits. The Disaster Assistance Period begins March 16, 2025, through November 22, 2025. Each claim will be reviewed to determine eligibility to receive DUA.
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 DUA. 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 apply.
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 have started work and does not have the job as direct result of the disaster.
Individuals in Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall Counties can apply online 24 hours a day at www.mdes.ms.gov or by calling 601-493-9428 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The deadline to apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance is Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
The following Counties have been approved for Federal Assistance:
INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE - Covington, Grenada, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall Counties
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE - Calhoun, Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Humphreys, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Lee, Leflore, Marion, Pike, Prentiss, Sharkey, Smith, Walthall, and Washington Counties (This assistance is not for homeowners or business owners).
Residents in the approved counties who sustained losses during the March 14-15 severe weather can now apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired or by using the FEMA App.
