Washington, D.C. – The Mississippi University for Women in Columbus will receive a grant totaling $9.9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to replace its physical education building and the top floor of the Fine Arts Building which were destroyed by a tornado on November 10, 2002, Senators Thad Cochran and Trent Lott announced today. The funding will also repair the lower floors of the Fine Arts Building which sustained water damage.

Replacement cost for the physical education building is estimated at $11,805,440. FEMA will reimburse the State of Mississippi for 75 percent of the cost, or $8,854,080. Repair costs for the Fine Arts Building are estimated at $1,487,938, with FEMA reimbursing the state at 75 percent of the costs, or $1,115,953.

Cochran said, "This funding will enable the Mississippi University for Women to continue to repair and rebuild after the devastating storm last year and allow the students and faculty to once again have their campus buildings functional and completely restored."

"This funding will assist the students, faculty and employees of the Mississippi University for Women in their ongoing recovery from this very fearsome storm," Senator Lott said. "The package is particularly important because it will enable a major part of Mississippi's higher educational system to be fully operational very soon."