More Than $1.5 Million in Disaster Assistance Approved for Mississippi Storm Survivors

OXFORD, Miss. – Less than a month after severe storms, tornadoes and flooding swept across Mississippi, more than $1.5 million in state and federal disaster assistance has been approved to help those affected by the storms.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been contacted by 775 people for help or information regarding disaster assistance.

In addition to FEMA grants for individuals and families, other forms of disaster assistance are provided by partner agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration and voluntary agencies. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and FEMA often refer survivors to those agencies. All businesses are also referred to the SBA. Some survivors may be interested in other programs such as disaster unemployment assistance and disaster legal services.

The following is a snapshot of the disaster recovery effort as of Jan. 15:

• Nearly 170 individuals and households approved for FEMA grants, including:
  • Nearly $1.3 million approved for housing grants, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.
  • More than $264,000 approved to cover other essential disaster-related needs such as medical and dental expenses and lost personal possessions.
• 489 home inspections completed.
• 283 visits to disaster recovery centers by people affected by the disaster.
• Five disaster recovery centers open in Individual Assistance-designated counties.

No matter the degree of loss or insurance coverage, survivors in the five disaster-designated Mississippi counties are urged to apply for help. The Individual Assistance-designated counties are Benton, Coahoma, Marshall, Quitman and Tippah. Survivors can use any of the following methods to register:

• By phone, call 800-621-FEMA (3362). People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-impaired and use a TTY should call 800-462-7585. Lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Assistance is available in most languages.
• Online registration can be done by computer, tablet, iPhone, Android or other mobile device at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

Survivors who register with FEMA and are referred to SBA will be contacted with options on how to apply for a low-interest disaster loan. After being contacted by SBA, survivors should complete and submit an application even if they do not plan to accept a loan in order to continue the federal assistance process. It is part of the FEMA grant process and can pave the way for additional disaster assistance. SBA disaster loans are available with interest rates as low as 2.188 percent and terms up to 30 years.

Complete the SBA application online at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Call the SBA customer service center with questions at 800-659-2955. People who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY can call 800-877-8339. For more information, visit sba.gov/disaster.

For more information on Mississippi disaster recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4248. Visit the MEMA website at msema.org or on Facebook at facebook.com/msemaorg.

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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). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

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.