HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The state of Mississippi, local governments and certain private nonprofits in three Mississippi counties are now eligible to receive federal assistance to help cover emergency expenses and repair damage associated with the severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding that occurred Jan. 20-21, 2017, according to state and federal officials.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said an amendment to the disaster declaration of Jan. 25, authorizes the Public Assistance grant program for Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties.
The Public Assistance Grant Program is a reimbursement program paid to state, tribal and local governments, and certain private nonprofits. Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA pays 75 percent of the cost of disaster-related expenses such as infrastructure repairs, overtime and debris removal. Typically, the remaining 25 percent is split between state and local governments at 12.5 percent each. Eligible nonprofits are responsible for the full 25 percent. The program is administered by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Eligibility and project approval is determined by FEMA.
MEMA and FEMA will schedule applicant briefings with officials of eligible entities and nonprofit organizations in the designated counties. MEMA and FEMA will provide information on the application process, as well as deadlines for submission of necessary documents to receive federal reimbursement.
The applicant briefings may be followed by face-to-face meetings in local communities between FEMA, state officials and eligible applicants.
FEMA and its local, state and federal partners are also providing assistance to individuals and households affected by the storms.
Individuals and households in the four Mississippi counties designated for the Individual Assistance Grant Program can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585. The toll-free lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Multilingual operators are available. Survivors may also call the helpline with questions regarding their applications or the appeals process.
There are four Mississippi counties designated for FEMA’s Individual Assistance Grant Program, including: Forrest, Lamar, Lauderdale and Perry counties.
For more information on Mississippi’s tornado recovery, go to fema.gov/disaster/4295.
###
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.
All FEMA disaster assistance will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment), religion, national origin, age, disability, limited English proficiency, economic status, or retaliation. If you believe your civil rights are being violated, call 800-621-3362 or 800-462-7585(TTY/TDD).
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.