Mississippi Disaster Survivors: Stay in Touch With FEMA to Keep Recovery Going

OXFORD, Miss. – The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency encourage survivors of the December storms, tornadoes and flooding in Mississippi to keep their recovery process on track by calling the FEMA helpline. The deadline to register with FEMA was March 4, but survivors can still call to check on the status of their applications, appeal decisions, update contact information, or ask questions about the process.

The FEMA helpline number is 800-621-3362, which is video relay service accessible. Survivors who are deaf, hard of hearing or who have difficulty speaking may call TTY 800-462-7585. Helpline hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.

Disaster survivors who registered before the deadline and discover that their insurance has not covered all losses have up to a year to submit additional documentation to FEMA. Assistance may be available for expenses not covered by insurance.

Applicants receiving temporary rental assistance will need to update their permanent housing plan and may need to document the need for continuing rental assistance. FEMA expects all families who receive temporary rental assistance to return to their damaged home when it is repaired or to locate and occupy affordable housing without FEMA rental assistance when possible to do so. 

Questions about U.S. Small Business Administration disaster loans should be directed to SBA at 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339, or by emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.    

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, FEMA and SBA have approved more than $5.7 million in total state and federal assistance for renters, homeowners and businesses in Mississippi as a result of the December storms, tornadoes and flooding.

• $3.1 million in low-interest SBA disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses.
• Nearly $2.6 million in MEMA/FEMA Individual Assistance, including:
  • $2.15 million for housing assistance, including money for repairing or rebuilding homes and temporary rental assistance.
  • $431,000 to help cover other disaster-related expenses such as repairing or replacing lost personal property and disaster-related medical, dental and funeral costs.
• 1,256 survivor households contacted FEMA for help or information regarding disaster assistance.
• 931 housing inspections were completed.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). If you have a speech disability or hearing loss and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585 directly; if you use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 800-621-3362.

FEMA’s temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, applicants who receive SBA loan applications must submit them to SBA loan officers to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.