Pearl – The State of Mississippi, local officials, hundreds of volunteers, faith-based organizations, and private sector partners continue to respond to the deadly tornadoes that swept through the state on March 24, 2023.
Key Messages
- MEMA in conjunction with the American Red Cross and FEMA, will be participating in a series of Townhall Meetings to provide residents with up to date information on federal recovery resources.
- MEMA has partenered with the American Red Cross for temporary lodging shelter.
- Some volunteer and donation sites have changed locations and hours.
- School districts resume classes in impacted counties and some state test deadlinese have extended.
- FEMA applicants may be referred to SBA after initially applying for FEMA disaster assistance. Those referred to the SBA must complete an SBA disaster loan application on the SBA website or a Disaster Recovery Center. Approved appliants are not obligated to accept the loan.
- The Mississippi Department of Public Safety Driver Service Bureau is setting up a temporary location to help survivors with identification and licenses.
- Those out of work because of the disasters resulting from recent tornadoes, you may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Assistance. Visit a Disaster Recovery Center to apply. Townhall Meeting locations, dates and times:
Silver City
Wesnesday, April 12th (5:30 p.m.)
White Star Church
609 George Lee Avenue
Belzoni, MS 39038
Winona
Thursday, April 13th (5:30 p.m.)
Zion District Association Building
213 Justy Street
Winona, MS 38967
The American Red Cross Information:
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency is entering into an agreement with the American Red Cross to assist in temporarily lodging displaced residents from the March 24, 2023, deadly tornadoes. Under this agreement, the American Red Cross will place eligible disaster survivors into hotel or motel rooms, and provide meals for those individuals and families for up to six months based on need.
To qualify for this program, survivors must register first with FEMA at DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362.
Displaced storm survivors who need temporary lodging under this program should call: 1-800-RedCross. (1-800-733-2767)
Disaster Recovery Center Locations:
Carroll County: J.Z. George High School, 900 George St. North Carrollton, MS, 38947
Humphreys County: Humphreys County Library, 105 Hayden Street, Belzoni, MS 39038
Monroe County: Justice Court Building, 1619 Highway 25, Amory, MS 38821
Montgomery County: Montgomery County Coliseum, 200 Recreation Dr., Winona, MS 38967
Panola County: MS State University Extension Center, 245 Eureka St. Suite C, Batesville, MS 38606
Sharkey County: Heritage Manor, 431 West Race Street, Rolling Fork, MS 39159
Center hours are 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday – Saturday; 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Sunday.
To find a nearby center, visit fema.gov/drc.
Mississippi Department of Education Information:
The Amory School District returned to class April 11, with 85% attendance.
The South Delta School District has established back-to-school reopening plans with a soft start for all K-12 students on April 14, at the South Delta Middle School in Anguilla.
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All faculty and staff will be housed at South Delta Middle School. All safety checks and repairs are completed at the operating site.
School start time for all students will be 7:40 a.m. and dismissal time will be 3:15 p.m. Students do not have to wear school uniforms.
Transportation will be provided for bus riders. All students will be picked up at the original bus stops and any stops where students are standing. Routes will be updated as needed. Students who live in Anguilla will walk to school or have parents or guardians bring them.
To provide maximum flexibility for administering statewide assessments, the Mississippi Department of Education is extending the statewide testing window for all districts for the following assessments:
Assessment New Closing Date
ELPT 4/21/23
Kindergarten Readiness Post-Test 5/5/23
MAAP-A 5/12/23
MAAP* ELA, Math, Science & U.S. History 5/19/23
*Excluding 3rd grade ELA and early graduates/senior retesters
The MDE will work with the tornado-affected districts to extend the window, if needed, for the 3rd Grade Reading Assessment (MAAP ELA Reading) and high school seniors who need to retest on high school end-of-course assessments (Algebra I, English II, Biology and U.S. History).
Extending the assessment window for 3rd Grade Reading and senior retesters to all districts would adversely impact district receipt of test scores. This would delay 3rd grade retesting opportunities and impact timelines for seniors to meet graduation requirements. Therefore, the MDE is not extending the assessment window for these tests to all districts.
Small Business Administration Information:
The disaster declaration covers Carroll, Humphreys, Montgomery, Monroe, Panola and Sharkey counties in Mississippi, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Attala, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Grenada, Holmes, Issaquena, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Washington, Webster, Yalobusha and Yazoo in Mississippi.
SBA Portable Loan Outreach Center (PLOC)
Sharkey County
South Delta High School (parking lot)
303 Parkway St.
Rolling Fork, MS 39159
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Business Recovery Center (BRC)
Monroe County
Monroe County Courthouse – Annex Building
301 S. Chestnut St.
Aberdeen, MS 39730
Opening: Wednesday, April 5, noon to 6 p.m.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety:
The Driver Service Bureau is setting up a temporary location at 19881 US-61, Rolling Fork, Mississippi this Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., appointments are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.
This location will serve all victims who possessed a valid regular license or identification card that has been lost as a result of the storms that occurred on March 24th, 2023. Duplicates and renewals will be the only services provided at this location. For those seeking additional services in the Rolling Fork area, please visit our Vicksburg or Greenville locations. For a list of all of our driver services locations, please click here.
For more information or assistance in schedule your appointment, please call Becky Pierson at 601-540-0631, or you can visit our website at https://www.driverservicebureau.dps.ms.gov/. To book your appointment visit, Home – TeleGov.
Donation Information and Needs:
| Location | Address | Point of Contact | Hours of Operation |
| Humphreys County | 237 Main Street Silver City, MS | Pastor Childress
601-327-9613 |
8:00a- 5:00p |
|
Old Amory Garment |
902 Main Street South
Amory, MS |
Patty Parker 662-257-2474
|
M-F
10:00a-4:00p |
| North Carrollton City Hall (**Preferred location for donations delivery)
|
114 East Main Street North Carrollton, MS 38947
|
Lynedra Williams
662-237-9268 |
By Appointment |
| South Delta High School
|
303 Parkway Street Rolling Fork, MS | 8:00a-6:00p | |
| South Delta Middle School (Collecting School Supplies) | 86 Middle School St. Anguilla, MS
|
Erra Kelly
662-907-0422 |
By appointment |
- Non-perishable food and drinks (especially caffeinated and sports drinks)
- Hygiene products
- Laundry Detergent
- Baby Items (formula/diapers)
- Paper Products
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