Three disaster recovery centers are now open in Mississippi following a recent bout of severe weather that struck the state.
On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that a second center had opened in Hinds County at Smith Wills Stadium located right off the Lakeland Drive exit on Interstate 55 at 1200 Cool Papa Bell Drive in Jackson. The other Hinds County location is at the Hinds Community College campus in Raymond.
In Belzoni, a disaster recovery center is located at the Humphreys County Multipurpose Building at 417 Silver City Road. All three Mississippi locations are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with the purpose of helping survivors affected by the April 8-11 severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding.
Specialists from FEMA, the state, and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be at the centers to help victims apply for federal disaster assistance, check the status of their applications, answer questions, and provide referrals to resources.
To apply for assistance, the following is required:
- Social Security number
- Insurance information
- Damage information
- Financial information
- Contact information
- Direct deposit information
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) noted that is not necessary to visit a center to apply for federal assistance. Other resources include DisasterAssistance.gov, the FEMA mobile app, or calling the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362.
Per the most recent damage report from the April 8-11 severe weather, 13 tornadoes were confirmed with hundreds of homes and buildings damaged. Other counties eligible for federal assistance include Hancock, Madison, Neshoba, and Scott. According to MEMA, additional disaster recovery centers could be opened in the coming days.
