President Joe Biden has announced that the federal government will cover all costs from Mississippi’s emergency measures that will occur over the next month.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Rolling Fork this morning to assess the damage from last week’s severe storms and tornadoes, which left 21 dead and countless injured.
The National Weather Service released that seven tornadoes touched down in the Magnolia State over the weekend, with one EF-4 tornado traveling through Rolling Fork.
Nearly 2,000 homes in 12 counties received damage ranging from minimal to destroyed, with 255 homes in Sharkey County reporting that they were impacted by the storms. Approximately 13 deaths out of the 21 total statewide fatalities were said to occur in Sharkey County alone.
During his time in Rolling Fork, Biden stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is planning to open disaster recovery centers that will distribute resources in areas that were the most affected. Biden also added that all costs will be reimbursed during the next 30 days, including overtime for all first responders and cleanup crews.
“The federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs of the state’s emergency measures for the next 30 days,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. “These measures include removing debris, operating shelters, and paying overtime to first responders.”
Other officials joined the president and first lady, including Governor Tate Reeves, First Lady Elee Reeves, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Congressman Bennie Thompson, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, Rolling Fork Mayor Eldridge Walker, and others.
At this time, residents of Carroll, Humphreys, Monroe, Montgomery, Panola, and Sharkey Counties can now register for FEMA Individual Assistance by going online to disasterassistance.gov or calling 800-621-FEMA (3362). MEMA is also encouraging residents who can report their damage using MEMA’s Self-Report Tool.
Montgomery, Panola Counties now eligible for FEMA assistance following severe storms
