The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it has added 18 Mississippi counties to the list eligible for public assistance grants after Winter Storm Fern. The grants cover debris removal and permanent work to repair public facilities, FEMA said.
FEMA identified the newly eligible counties as Adams, Attala, Benton, Claiborne, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lee, Marshall, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union and Yalobusha. They join counties previously approved for all categories of public assistance, including Alcorn, Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Montgomery, Sharkey, Sunflower, Warren, Washington, Webster, Yazoo and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, FEMA said.
FEMA said the action follows President Donald Trumps allocation of $39.1 million for storm relief in Mississippi earlier this month. The agency said the additional funding and approvals aim to speed recovery efforts in hard-hit areas.
Officials said the storm left lingering debris and damage across the northern and Delta regions. At the height of the storm, officials reported more than 180,000 power outages and said 29 deaths were attributed to the storm, and many residents were unable to navigate roadways because of ice and debris.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
