Residents Of Marion And Pearl River Counties Urged To Apply For Fema-State Disaster Aid
Release Date: May 22, 2003
Release Number: 1459-31
» More Information on Mississippi Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
Jackson, MS -- State of Mississippi and federal officials encourage residents of Marion and Pearl River counties 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
Marion and Pearl River residents have slightly more than one month left to apply for assistance. The application deadline for disaster assistance is June 23, 2003.
On May 19th, President Bush added Marion and Pearl River counties to those counties already eligible for a wide range of Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) and state disaster assistance programs. These programs are designed to help homeowners, renters and businesses owners 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 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), FEMA's toll-free application number."
The various programs and services offered by FEMA and the Mississippi State 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 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. Operators are available to assist you every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, until further notice."
The 30 Mississippi counties now declared eligible for federal and state disaster assistance are: Amite, Attala, Claiborne, Clarke, Copiah, Franklin, Hinds, Holmes, Issaquena, Jasper, Jefferson, Kemper, Lauderdale, Laurence, Leake, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Neshoba, Newton, Pearl River, Pike, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Walthall, Warren, Wayne and Yazoo.
Last Modified: Thursday, 22-May-2003 12:52:30