Work crews rebuild the walls to this Rolling Fork, Miss., home following the March 24 killer tornado destroyed much of the small town and also hit a number of Mississippi communities, on March 29, 2023. Many communities are in the midst of cleanup. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis - Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Over $7.1 million of FEMA assistance and $10.2 million in SBA loans have been distributed in the last month, with more to come.
Today, April 24th, marks a month since devastating storms and tornadoes swept through Mississippi and destroyed homes, communities, and businesses in Sharkey, Humphreys, Carroll, and Monroe counties. The State of Mississippi, local officials, hundreds of volunteers, faith-based organizations, and private sector partners continue to respond.
As the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods continues, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) told the Magnolia Tribune that over $7.1 million of FEMA assistance is in the hands of eligible Mississippi tornado survivors and $10.2 million in SBA loans, including home and business loans, have been distributed.
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney stated last week that insured losses from the March 24, 2023, storms in the Mississippi Delta were approaching $100 million.
“Uninsured losses will likely exceed that number. Data is still being collected,” Chaney said.
According to the latest data regarding residential damage from MEMA, the amount of homes that were destroyed totaled 281. Another 521 homes sustained major damage, 311 homes sustained minor damage, and 793 were affected in some manner. MEMA said these numbers are reported to the agency by the counties with the numbers reflecting residential damage.
Last week, MEMA announced that Mississippi and the Red Cross are assisting 533 citizens with food and lodging in 37 hotels.
Since the storms, nearly 380,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed.
Stephen McCraney, Executive Director of MEMA, told the Magnolia Tribune that they have made significant process over the last month, but they are still working to identify those survivors in need of assistance.
“It’s a long road to recovery and we are just getting started,” McCraney said. “MEMA will be here every step of the way working with the city and county governments as well as FEMA and other federal partners. Our goal in this response, is to help survivors and impacted communities recover as quickly as possible.”
Additionally, MEMA provided some important deadlines for storm survivors:
- SNAP Replacement Benefits Deadline: April 24, 2023
- SBA Physical Property Loan: May 25, 2023
- FEMA Application Deadline: May 25, 2023
- IRS Filing Deadline (STORM VICTIMS ONLY): July 31, 2023
- Economic Injury Application: December 26, 2023
Anne Summerhays
