Residents Of Jefferson Davis County Urged To Apply For FEMA-State Disaster Aid 

Release Date: June 9, 2003
Release Number: 1459-46

» More Information on Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding

Jackson, MS -- State of Mississippi and federal officials encourage residents of Jefferson Davis County who suffered damage or losses from the April 6th through 25th severe storms, tornadoes and flooding to apply for disaster assistance as soon as possible.

To apply, simply call the toll-free application number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 1-800-462-7585 for persons with speech or hearing impairments.

Jefferson Davis residents who have not previously called to apply have two weeks left to apply for assistance. The application deadline for disaster assistance is June 23, 2003.

On June 6th, President Bush added Jefferson Davis to those counties already eligible for a wide range of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state disaster assistance programs. These programs are designed to help homeowners, renters and business owners with uninsured or under-insured losses recover from the devastation caused by the storms that struck the area April 6th through 25th.

FEMA's Federal Coordinating Officer for the recovery operation, Carlos Mitchell, urged everyone in the counties who suffered disaster-related damage to apply immediately. He said, "The process of recovering from this disaster begins when you call FEMA's toll-free application number, 1-800-621-FEMA (3362)."

The various programs and services offered by FEMA and the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency include financial assistance to pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses. Low-interest disaster loans are available from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

Mississippi's State Coordinating Officer, Leon Shaifer, added, "Mississippians who had damage from the April 6th through 25th severe weather should immediately call the application number to apply for assistance. You must apply by phone before June 23rd in order to receive assistance. That's only two weeks away. Operators are available to assist you every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m."

The 31 Mississippi counties now declared eligible for federal and state disaster assistance are: Amite, Attala, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds, Holmes, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Kemper, Lauderdale, Laurence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Pearl River, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Warren, Wayne and Yazoo.

Last Modified: Monday, 09-Jun-2003 13:44:50