Governor asks for disaster funds for Madison storms
Federal aid sought by Governor Tate Reeves could help repair 31 homes damaged in Madison County and five other counties during April storms, Gov. Tate Reeves announced.
About 12 of those 31 homes were destroyed, according to Emergency Management Director Albert Jones III.
Jones said the damage was concentrated to the south of Madison and was split fairly evenly between the east side of Interstate 55 and the west side.
On the east side of the interstate Jones said the damage was concentrated in the area of Lost Rabbit along Old Rice Road and Trace Harbour Road. On the west side of the interstate, Jones said damage was primarily in the area of the Ashbrooke subdivision.
“In almost all of these cases the damage was caused by a tree falling through the roof,” Jones said.
Reeves announced on May 10 that he is requesting Individual Assistance from FEMA for six counties impacted by the severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds, and tornadoes that occurred from April 8 to April 11.
“During that timeframe, the state experienced 13 tornadoes, and sadly, two people lost their lives,” Reeves’ announcement said.
In addition to Madison County, this includes a request for individual assistance for Hancock, Hinds, Humphreys, Neshoba, and Scott counties following the severe weather event.
According to Reeves’ announcement, a total of 204 homes were destroyed or severely damaged across the six counties. Madison County had the second lowest count of severely damaged homes with the highest being neighboring Hinds County with 44 homes counted.
“The state of Mississippi has been working with local and federal partners to assess the damage from these storms,” said Gov. Reeves. “This disaster declaration request will help Mississippians restore, rebuild, and recover.”
If Individual assistance is approved to residents here and in those six counties it can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of this disaster, according to Reeves’ office.
Jones said this is just the beginning of a process and encouraged homeowners to continue to work with their insurance companies as a FEMA response could take some time. He said that he did not know what the timeframe would be.
The State must meet FEMA requirements to be approved for the individual assistance declaration. In the meantime, Reeves’s offcie said, MEMA is tracking citizens’ needs and working closely with non-profit organizations to assist survivors.