Hinds Today

The Mississippi congressional delegation has expressed support for a federal disaster declaration request by Governor Tate Reeves following deadly weather events that occurred in the state on March 14-15. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, along with U.S. Representatives Bennie Thompson, Trent Kelly, Michael Guest, and Mike Ezell, have urged President Trump to endorse the governor's request for federal assistance for 14 affected counties.

"In the wake of recent extreme weather that brought severe thunderstorms and violent tornadoes to the State of Mississippi, we request your full consideration of Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves’ request for a federal disaster declaration," the lawmakers wrote in their letter to the President. This request is aimed at unlocking additional federal resources to aid state recovery efforts.

A preliminary disaster assessment reveals significant loss of life, injuries, and property damage. "Available resources from state and local governments and volunteer organizations are inadequate to meet the state’s recovery needs. Significant federal assistance and cooperation are needed for Mississippi to rebuild," the delegation emphasized.

The full letter sent to President Trump outlined specifics of the extreme weather, which included hurricane-force winds, baseball-sized hail, 18 tornadoes, and flash flooding, affecting at least 20 counties. Additionally, a magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck near Magee during the storms. Seven fatalities were reported, alongside extensive damage to homes, businesses, and infrastructure, with losses estimated at $18.2 million validated by FEMA.

Governor Reeves' request calls for Individual Assistance for 14 counties and Public Assistance for 17 counties. The listed counties for Individual Assistance include Carroll, Covington, Grenada, Holmes, Issaquena, Itawamba, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Leflore, Marion, Montgomery, Pike, Smith, and Walthall. The Public Assistance request also covers counties such as Calhoun, Humphreys, Lee, Prentiss, Sharkey, and Washington.

The lawmakers concluded their message by expressing gratitude for past efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist Mississippi and anticipating continued support during the recovery process. The letter underscores the urgency for federal help, pointing to the inadequacy of local resources to tackle the scale of the disaster.

"We appreciate the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Mississippians recover from past disasters. As recovery efforts continue, we anticipate expeditious support from the agency in assisting state and local officials," they wrote.