Zeta Aftermath (Image courtesy of the City of Biloxi)
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and Governor Tate Reeves have announced the approval of a federal disaster request following the October landfall of Hurricane Zeta.
President Trump approved the request for both Individual and Public Assistance for counties affected by the storm, which according to MEMA, caused nearly $90 million in damages after making landfall as a Category 2 storm with eight feet of storm surge and maximum wind gusts around 100 mph.
“I want to thank President Trump for approving my request for public and individual assistance for those impacted by Hurricane Zeta. Homeowners, local governments, and business owners in the declared counties can start the new year rebuilding from this storm,” says Governor Reeves.
Public Assistance was approved for the following eight counties: George, Greene, Jackson, Hancock, Harrison, Perry, Stone and Wayne. Public assistance is available to local governments and eligible private non-profit agencies to assist in the costs for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.
Individual Assistance was also approved for the following six counties: George, Greene, Jackson, Hancock, Harrison and Stone. Individual assistance is available to residents in those six counties and 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.
Residents and business owners in George, Greene, Jackson, Hancock, Harrison and Stone counties who sustained losses during Hurricane Zeta can now apply for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.
Because of the pandemic, MEMA is encouraging all residents to apply online or by phone. For those without the resources to apply online, MEMA is establishing Disaster Assistance Centers for residents to apply in person. Those locations and operation hours will be announced at a later date.
